Wildfires can have global impact and are set to intensify, experts say

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above a lakefront home in West Kelowna, Canada on Friday, Aug 18. — AP

DEVASTATING wildfires of the sort that have scorched Hawaii and swathes of Canada and Greece are likely to become frequent in the future as global warming creates the right conditions for intense blazes, scientists say.

The increasing number of extreme wildfires could, in turn, exacerbate climate change and lead to yet more fires, damage the ozone layer and severely impact the globe, two leading fire scientists say.