Overview

• Using more than 18.6 million satellite fire detections merged with population and land‑use data, the study estimates that 440 million people experienced at least one nearby fire between 2002 and 2021.
• Roughly 85% of human exposures occurred in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola accounting for about half of the global total.
• The authors identify population growth in fire‑prone areas, expansion of the wildland‑urban interface and more extreme fire weather linked to climate change as key drivers.
• The research tallies at least 2,500 direct deaths and 10,500 injuries since 1990, along with an estimated 1.53 million deaths attributable to wildfire smoke.
• Recommended responses include redesigning infrastructure and landscapes, restoring native vegetation, expanding prescribed burning and improving early‑warning and evacuation, while some experts question how the study defines exposure.