How Climate Change and Habitat Loss Combine to Fuel Fire

The Link Between Climate Change, Deforestation, and Wildfire Risk 

Climate change causes less rain, stronger winds, and longer dry seasons in many areas. It also causes hotter air, which is a key driver for fire risk. That’s because the hotter the air is, the more moisture it can pull from the land — when the air is hot,  the atmosphere gets "thirsty" and starts to steal moisture from plants, soils, rivers, and reservoirs. This exacerbates dry conditions, turning the environment into a powder keg, with parched plants ready to ignite. 

But fire risk isn’t just about heat — it’s also about how fragmented our landscapes have become. Forests that once stretched as far as the eye could see are now gone, broken up by roads, farms, and cities. Today, more than 70% of remaining forests are within one kilometer of a forest edge. These edges are drier, hotter, and more exposed to human activity, increasing their potential to catch fire. The more we cut down forests, the more we turn them into fragments of their former selves, the more we tip the balance toward burning.  

A Feedback Loop We Can’t Afford to Ignore 

This is a dangerous feedback loop. As forests are cleared, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and drying many areas of land further. This may weaken nature’s ability to regulate climate, retain water, and stay resilient to a changing environment. This is especially dangerous in places like the Amazon rainforest, where plants play a critical role in ecosystem function, recycling up to 41% of rainfall. 

At the Bezos Earth Fund we believe that effective solutions begin with clear insight — because you can’t manage what you can’t measure. This is why we partner with organizations like Re:wild, to support firefighting and prevention in the Amazon, and why we invest in conservation efforts and restoration efforts throughout key regions for biodiversity and carbon storage. It's also why we support tools like Global Forest Watch, which shed light on the scale of forest loss and can guide effective, informed responses.  

This isn’t a cry for help — it’s a scream. Fires aren’t just a symptom of climate change anymore; drought and habitat loss have twisted them into a leading cause of forest destruction.  

Fire is advancing like never before. With data in hand, we must advance as well, with bold, coordinated action.