‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices
Firefighters are facing increasingly difficult conditions as climate change fuels more frequent and intense wildfires globally. Experts warn that emergency services are reaching a breaking point, forcing commanders to make triage-style decisions on which areas to prioritize for protection.
Why it matters
The operational collapse of firefighting resources poses a direct threat to public safety and infrastructure as climate-driven disasters become the new normal.
Firefighters tackle the flames of the Vouzela wildfire in Cercosa in Mortagua, Portugal, in early July. Firefighters tackle the flames of the Vouzela wildfire in Cercosa in Mortagua, Portugal, in early July. The Saturday read Wildfires ‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices As the climate crisis fuels more intense blazes, pushing them to new parts of the world, those tackling them are forced to ration resources and decide which to fight
César Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with no more water left in his truck, he and his colleagues fled an inferno ravaging Spain’s Montgó mountain region, wishing their bosses had sent more support.
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