Northern Hemisphere’s summer of wildfires let off record-breaking carbon emissions

The amount of carbon emitted from severe wildfires that tore across many parts of the Northern Hemisphere this summer broke records, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service published Tuesday.

Intense blazes, including fires in hotspots in the Mediterranean, North America and Siberia, let off more than 2.7 billion metric tons of carbon over the summer, with July and August both breaking monthly records for emissions from fires. More than half of July’s emissions could be put down to fires in North America and Siberia.

Europe experienced its hottest summer on record this year and the Mediterranean also broke temperature records by large margins, as did parts of the Arctic and Canada.

Human-made climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and dry conditions and heatwaves in the Mediterranean this year turned the region into a wildfire hotspot, letting off large quantities of smoke pollution.

Firefighters battle a wildfire near Avila, Spain, on August 16.

A helicopter drops water as a wildfire burns in the village of Navalmoral, Spain, on August 16.

A man works to douse a fire in Montalto, Italy, on August 12.

Forest fires rage on the Greek island of Euboea on August 11.

This aerial photo shows a wildfire-affected area in Mugla, Turkey, on August 11.

Remains of an 18th-century Orthodox church are seen on August 10, after a fire on the Greek island of Evia.

Local youths and volunteers gather in a field and wait to support firefighters during a wildfire on August 9, close to the village of Kamatriades on the Greek island of Evia.

People sleep in a car near the beach in Pefki village as wildfires rage on the island of Evia on August 8.

A resident reacts as a wildfire approaches her house in the Greek village of Gouves, on the island of Evia, on August 8.

A house in Pefkofito, Greece, is destroyed on August 7.

A firefighter washes his face in the Milas area of Mugla, Turkey, on August 7.

People are evacuated on a ferry as a wildfire burns in Limni, Greece, on August 6.

A satellite photo shows smoke rising from fires on the island of Evia, Greece, on August 5.

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire near the town of Olympia, Greece, on August 5.

Residents react during a wildfire near Olympia on August 5.

The grounds of a burnt hotel are seen in Lalas village, near Olympia, on August 5.

People move belongings to safety as a forest fire rages in a wooded area north of Athens, Greece, on August 5.

A wildfire approaches the Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, on August 4.

The remnants of a destroyed house are seen in the Varibobi area of northern Athens on August 4.

Onlookers view the smoke from the wildfires blanketing Athens' Acropolis on August 4.

A charred area of Mugla, Turkey, after a forest fire on August 3.

Smoke and flames rise over the village of Limni on the Greek island of Evia.

Firefighters work as a house burns in the Adames area of northern Athens on August 3.

A woman pours water over a baby's head at a fountain in Skopje, North Macedonia, as temperatures reached over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on August 2.

A man leads sheep away from an advancing fire in Mugla, Turkey, on August 2.

People watch an advancing fire that rages around the Cokertme village near Bodrum, Turkey, on August 2.

Local residents watch as a Greek army helicopter collects water to tackle a wildfire near the village of Lambiri, Greece, on August 1.

A handout photo from the Italian National Fire Brigade shows an aerial view of a fire in the Pineta Dannunziana reserve in Pescara, Italy, on August 1.

A man surveys a fire at Le Capannine beach in the Sicilian town of Catania, Italy, on July 30.

Firefighters battle a massive wildfire that engulfed a Mediterranean resort region on Turkey's southern coast near the town of Manavgat on July 29.

A firefighter talks to his colleague as they work to put out fires in Cuglieri, on the Italian island of Sardinia, on July 26.

A firefighting helicopter passes in front of a cloud of smoke from a forest fire near Spathovouni village, southwest of Athens, Greece, on July 23.

In photos: Europe battles wildfires amid scorching heat waves

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Meanwhile, wildfires in the Arctic – a region that has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet since 2000 – released 66 million tons of CO2 between June and August, Copernicus said.

The boreal fire season usually lasts from May to October, and activity peaks between July and August.

“Throughout the summer we have been monitoring wildfire activity across the Northern Hemisphere. What stood out as unusual were the number of fires, the size of the areas in which they were burning, their intensity and also their persistence,” Mark Parrington, senior scientist and wildfire expert at Copernicus, part of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said in a statement.

Wildfires in Sakha Republic in northeastern Siberia have been burning since June and only started receding in late August, with some fires continuing into September, Parrington added.

Parrington told CNN that in Siberia estimated emissions in June, July and August are more than double those recorded in the previous 19 years, since Copernicus has been recording the data.

Meanwhile, parts of Canada, the Pacific Northwest and California have been experiencing large wildfires since the end of June and beginning of July, some of which are still raging.

The Alisal Fire burns near Goleta, California, on Tuesday, October 12.

A firefighter puts out a roadside fire in Goleta, California, on Wednesday, October 13.

An air tanker drops retardant on a wildfire in Goleta.

James Grooms looks through the remains of his home at the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, California, on Tuesday, October 12.

Firefighter Tyler McManigal battles the Alisal Fire in Gaviota, California, on October 12.

A forest of ashen trees stands in the wake of the Windy Fire, south of California Hot Springs, on September 27.

A volunteer attempts to evacuate horses to safety as the Windy Fire expands in California's Sequoia National Forest on September 25.

Operations Section Chief Jon Wallace looks at the General Sherman giant sequoia tree at Sequoia National Park on September 22. The base of the tree, the world's largest by volume, was wrapped in an aluminum-based burn-resistant material to protect it from wildfires.

Firefighters spray water as flames from the Windy Fire push toward a road in California's Sequoia National Forest on September 22.

Firefighters battling the Windy Fire extinguish a spot fire in the Sequoia National Forest on September 19.

The Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in the Sequoia National Forest on September 19.

A helicopter drops water on the KNP Complex Fire burning in Sequoia National Park on September 15.

Flames from the KNP Complex Fire burn along a hillside in the Sequoia National Park on September 14.

This aerial photo, taken on September 4, shows the Dixie Fire on Horton Ridge in Plumas County, California.

Riley Cantrell cries while she and boyfriend, Bradley Fairbanks, view what's left of her mother's home in Greenville, California, on September 4. It was destroyed by the Dixie Fire.

A firefighter is seen as the Caldor Fire rages near California's Silver Lake on September 2.

A helicopter flies over Wrights Lake while battling the Caldor Fire in California's Eldorado National Forest.

Embers fly from a tree as the Caldor Fire burns along Highway 50 in California's Eldorado National Forest.

Veronica Foster, an evacuee from South Lake Tahoe, California, hugs her dog, Gracie, as she and her co-workers gather outside an evacuation center in Gardnerville, Nevada, on August 31. The governors of California and Nevada declared states of emergency as the fast-moving Caldor Fire prompted officials to tell everyone to get out of South Lake Tahoe.

Jason Marone of the Roseville Fire Department hoses down a hot spot in Meyers, California, on August 31.

A tree burns in a blackened forest at dawn on August 30 after the Caldor Fire tore through Twin Bridges, California.

A firefighter winds up hose at a spot fire near Meyers, California, on August 30.

The Caldor Fire burns homes along a ridge near South Lake Tahoe on August 30.

South Lake Tahoe residents are stuck in gridlock while attempting to evacuate the city on August 30.

A tanker makes a fire-retardant drop near Lytle Creek, California, on August 26 as efforts continued to stop the South Fire.

A firefighter tries to extinguish flames at a burning house as the South Fire burned in Lytle Creek, California, on August 25.

From left, Astrid Covarrubias, Jose Lamas and Maria Covarrubias walk through smoke after visiting their burned-out home in Lytle Creek on August 25.

The French Fire continues to spread near Wofford Heights, California, on August 25.

Firefighters are seen behind the flames of a backfire they were setting to battle the French Fire near Wofford Heights.

Crews battle California's Caldor Fire as it moved east toward Lake Tahoe on August 23.

This aerial photo, taken on August 19, shows burned homes at the Creekside Mobile Home Park a day after they were destroyed by the Cache Fire in Clearlake, California.

Firefighters dig a containment line on the Caldor Fire near Pollock Pines, California, on August 18.

Smoke and haze from wildfires obscure the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline on August 18.

In this long-exposure photo, embers light up hillsides as the Dixie Fire burns near Milford, California, on August 17.

Destiney Barnard holds Raymond William Goetchius while stranded at a gas station in Doyle, California, on August 17. Barnard's car broke down as she was helping Raymond and his family flee the Dixie Fire.

Destroyed property is seen August 17 after the Caldor Fire passed through Grizzly Flats, California.

Firefighters spray water on trees being burned by the Dixie Fire near Janesville, California, on August 17.

As the KNP Complex Fire approaches, Forest Service firefighters Armando Flores, right, and Heron Hilbach-Barger clear vegetation around structures at the Ash Mountain headquarters in Sequoia National Park, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2021. The blaze is burning near the Giant Forest, home to more than 2,000 giant sequoias.

A firefighting helicopter flies in front of the sun, which was shrouded in thick wildfire smoke near Lakeview, Oregon, on August 15.

Wind blows smoke away for a moment, revealing damage from the Parleys Canyon Fire in Utah on August 14.

Crews battle a fire in Newhall, California, on August 12.

A table and chairs sit in front of a destroyed home in Greenville, California, on August 12.

A firefighter battles the Dixie Fire near Taylorsville, California, on August 10.

Smoke plumes rise from the Kwis Fire near Eugene, Oregon, on August 10.

A firefighter works to extinguish a controlled burn, a preventative measure, to protect a home in Greenville, California, on August 9.

Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire clear a fallen tree from a roadway in Plumas County, California, on August 6.

Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a pickup truck on Highway 89, south of Greenville, California, on August 5.

Operations Chief Jay Walter passes the historic Sierra Lodge as the Dixie Fire burns through Greenville, California, on August 4. The fire leveled multiple historic buildings and dozens of homes in central Greenville.

Firefighters work at a Greenville home that was engulfed by the Dixie Fire on August 4.

The Dixie Fire burns near Taylorsville, California, on July 29.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tour an area destroyed by the Tamarack Fire in Gardnerville, Nevada, on July 28.

Firefighter Brentt Call walks through a burned-over area of the Bootleg Fire near Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 27.

Cal Fire Capts. Tristan Gale, left, and Derek Leong monitor a firing operation in California's Lassen National Forest on July 26. Crews had set a ground fire to stop the Dixie Fire from spreading.

Firefighters try to reach a fire site in Quincy, California, on July 25.

Volunteers sort clothing at a donation shelter for those affected by the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon.

Scott Griffin surveys his property, which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire in Sycan Estates, Oregon.

Flames consume a home as the Dixie Fire tears through the Indian Falls community of Plumas County, California, on July 24.

People stand behind the fire line as flames from the Steptoe Canyon Fire spread through dry grass in Colton, Washington, on July 22.

Plumes of smoke from the Dixie Fire rise above California's Plumas National Forest, near the Pacific Gas and Electric Rock Creek Power House, on July 21.

Firefighters walk near a wildfire in Topanga, California, on July 19.

A firefighter does mop-up work in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, which has been struggling with the Bootleg Fire in Oregon.

A car is charred by the Bootleg Fire along a mountain road near Bly, Oregon.

Nicolas Bey, 11, hugs his father, Sayyid, near a donated trailer they are using after their home was burned in the Bootleg Fire near Beatty, Oregon.

Firefighters extinguish hot spots in an area affected by the Bootleg Fire near Bly, Oregon.

A bear cub clings to a tree after being spotted by a safety officer at the Bootleg Fire in Oregon.

Firefighters work to protect Markleeville, California, from the Tamarack Fire on July 17. The Tamarack Fire was started by a lightning strike.

The Tamarack Fire burns in Markleeville, near the California-Nevada border, on July 17.

A member of the Northwest Incident Management Team 12 holds a map of the Chuweah Creek Fire as wildfires devastated Nespelem, Washington, on July 16.

A cloud from the Bootleg Fire drifts into the air near Bly, Oregon, on July 16.

Firefighters spray water from the Union Pacific Railroad's fire train while battling the Dixie Fire in California's Plumas National Forest on July 16.

Horses climb a hillside that was burned by the Chuweah Creek Fire in eastern Washington.

Fire from the Bootleg Fire illuminates smoke near Bly, Oregon, on the night of July 16.

A firefighter battles the Bootleg Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, along the Oregon and California border, on July 15.

A firefighting aircraft drops flame retardant on the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon, on July 15.

Firefighters dig away at hot spots underneath stumps and brush after flames from the Snake River Complex Fire swept through the area south of Lewiston, Idaho, on July 15.

Burned cars sit outside a home that was destroyed by the Chuweah Creek Fire in Nespelem, Washington.

Evacuee Dee McCarley hugs her cat Bunny at a Red Cross center in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 14.

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Chuweah Creek Fire in Washington on July 14.

Operations Section Chief Bert Thayer examines a map of the Bootleg Fire in Chiloquin, Oregon, on July 13.

Fire consumes a home as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, tears through Doyle, California, on July 10. It's the second time in less than a year that the small town has been ravaged by a wildfire.

Men hug a member of the Red Cross at a Bootleg Fire evacuation center in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Embers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire burns in Doyle, California, on July 9.

Firefighters monitor the Sugar Fire in Doyle, California, on July 9.

In this long-exposure photograph, taken early on July 2, flames surround a drought-stricken Shasta Lake during the Salt Fire in Lakehead, California.

In pictures: Wildfires raging in the West

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“It is concerning that drier and hotter regional conditions – brought about by global warming – increase the flammability and fire risk of vegetation. This has led to very intense and fast-developing fires,” Parrington added.

“While the local weather conditions play a role in the actual fire behavior, climate change is helping provide the ideal environments for wildfires. More fires around the world are anticipated in the coming weeks, too, as the fire season in the Amazon and South America continues to develop.”

“Clearly the smoke is very hazardous to human health [and] degrades air quality. And we’ve seen that happen in cities immediately downwind from some of those big fires, especially in Siberia,” Parrington told CNN.