nature & planetOur World in Data
The total area burned by wildfires worldwide has fallen over the last two decades
The average area burned by wildfires each year has declined over the last few decades, even as individual fires make headlines. Most of the drop comes from savannas and grasslands, where people have long set regular fires to clear land. As agriculture intensified and grazing land was managed more closely, less shrub and savanna burned. Fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat, so reducing deliberate burning of dry grassland shrinks the total area affected.
Savanna fires are often deliberately lit each year to clear old grass and encourage new growth. When land is farmed or grazed more intensively, these regular burns happen less often, so the total area consumed by fire falls.
Global totals can fall even while dramatic fires destroy homes and forests, so the headline trend and local risk tell different stories. Understanding where fires happen and why helps target prevention.
Similar declines in burned savanna have been linked to land management changes across Africa, where many fires were once set for herding and farming.
