UN: Wildfires getting worse globally, governments unprepared

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A warming planet and land use changes mean more wildfires will scorch large parts of the globe in coming decades. That’s according to a U.N. report being released Wednesday that says many governments are ill-prepared to address the problem. The western U.S., northern Siberia, central India, and eastern Australia already are seeing more blazes. U.N. researchers say the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires globally could increase by more than 50% by the turn of the century. The report calls for more awareness of the dangers from smoke inhalation, which can affect tens of millions of people annually as plumes from major wildfires drift thousands of miles across international borders.