There's nothing 'wild' about most wildfires. Humans start them and have made them more dangerous

For several decades, most European wildfires have been ignited by human activities, with the human share of ignitions estimated at roughly 97%. This fact often gets obscured in the media frenzy surrounding a fire's name. When a fire erupts, it is named in hours, but the investigation into its cause can take weeks. The term "wildfire" is frequently used, despite the fact that it implies a natural, unplanned fire.

However, in reality, almost all UK wildfires are started by people, as stated in a 2024 parliamentary briefing. The term "wildfire" implies no spark and no human involvement, which is misleading. In the United States, fire names must reference nearby geography and should not identify responsible parties or imply culpability. In California, a power line fire named "Camp Fire" led to 85 deaths and criminal charges against the utility company.

In contrast, investigators in Europe quickly identify the person or careless act that sparked the fire, rather than exploring the broader context. This approach neglects the role of climate change, which has made severe fire conditions about twice as likely in France and 20 times more likely in Spain. The media tends to focus on ignition sources and underrepresents the climatic conditions that exacerbate wildfires.

To address this imbalance, the article suggests using "landscape fire" instead of "wildfire" and reporting both the ignition source and the underlying climatic conditions simultaneously. This approach would provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to these devastating fires.