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Why wildfires are becoming impossible to control

Wildfires seem to be getting more intense, more unpredictable, and harder to control than ever before, but global burnt areas are decreasing. In this video, Dr Tom Smith explains why extreme wildfires are getting harder to fight and what needs to change if we want to prevent future disasters.
Wildfires seem to be getting more intense, more unpredictable, and harder to control than ever before, but global burnt areas are decreasing. In this video, Dr Tom Smith explains why extreme wildfires are getting harder to fight and what needs to change if we want to prevent future disasters.
Tuesday 10 March 2026 | 4 minutes 45 seconds
Watch on YouTubeDownload File | 665.96MB

Wildfires seem to be getting more intense, more unpredictable, and harder to control than ever before, but global burnt areas are decreasing. Why are extreme wildfires getting harder to fight?
What needs to change if we want to prevent future disasters? Wildfires are no longer limited to traditionally hot places like Australia or California. Climate change, drought, and shifting weather patterns have caused severe and frequent fires in cooler countries such as Canada, the UK and Russia, too.

In this video, Dr Tom Smith, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, explores the science of wildfires, how climate change, land‑use change, and fuel buildup interact, and why many of today’s most intense fires are the result of decades of fire suppression policies and weakened land management practices.

In 2026, our Future Proof series goes behind the scenes with some of LSE’s sustainability experts to understand more about what a sustainable and resilient future looks like, and how the social sciences will help us build it. New episode every month, on the first Tuesday.