European Wildfires Could Be 200 Percent Worse by the End of 2100

Scientists have warned that the Western U.S. soon might see a rapid increase in super-intense wildfires. And now the first major assessment of the European Union's fire-adaptation capability posits a similar crackling armageddon, with acres of damage caused by such blazes possibly increasing by 200 percent by 2090.

The basis behind this alarming estimate is the warming atmosphere's aggravating effect on heat streaks and persistent droughts, say European researchers in Regional Environmental Change. As it stands, wildfires ravage about 2,000 square miles of land in Europe each year. Though certain plants rely on fire to reproduce, especially in the Mediterranean, a major uptick in fires would be nasty news. The "aggregate consequences of large-scale destruction are overwhelmingly negative: fires devastate the carbon storage of forests and can lead to large economic damages and loss of life," say the researchers.