Zombie Fires

In News

Zombie fires’ becoming more frequent in the Arctic in addition to fires occurring in the once-frozen tundra.

What are Zombie fires?

Zombie fires occur when a fire from a previous year smolders in carbon-rich peat (organic fuel) underground during the winter, then re-ignite on the surface as the weather warms and the ground thaws the next season.
This can lead to even more burning the following year.
The process is made worse as peat and permafrost, both carbon sinks which act to hold and store carbon, now become a carbon source.
Emissions increase as both the burning of vegetation and burning of peat/permafrost release CO2 into the atmosphere, furthering our planet’s warming.
The fires in the Arctic spreading to areas which were formerly fire-resistant is a more worrying feature.
- The tundra is drying up and vegetation there like moss, grass, dwarf shrubs, etc are starting to catch fire.
- The tundra is a cold region of treeless level or rolling ground found mostly north of the Arctic Circle or above the timberline on mountains.
In 2019 and 2020, burning occurred well above the Arctic Circle, a region not normally known to support large wildfires. Wildfires on permafrost in Siberia south of the Arctic are not uncommon.

Why is a ‘zombie fire’ dangerous?

Zombie fires are part of a dangerous “feedback loop”.
The growing number of extreme wildfires in the Arctic are unprecedented in the past 10,000 years.
These fires can burn underground for years, thawing permafrost and releasing huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, creating feedback loops resulting in accelerated warming and more thawing permafrost.
The combination of wildfires and permafrost thaw can cause loss of life, landslides, floods, and coastal erosion threatening Arctic communities, infrastructure and wildlife.

Need of the hour:

There is an urgent need to understand the nature of fires in the Arctic which are evolving and changing rapidly.
The issue needs to be taken up as an issue of global importance.
There is a need for global cooperation, investment and action in monitoring fires.
Also needed was the learning from indigenous people of the Arctic about how fire was traditionally used.
New permafrost- and peat-sensitive approaches to wildland firefighting are also needed to save the Arctic.