Cities expected to face growing risk of fires due to climate change: Researchers

As global temperatures climb due to climate change cities are expected to face a growing risk of fires according to Australian and international researchers on TuesdayA new modelling study published in Nature Cities predicts that certain types of urban fires will become more frequent in the coming decadesResearchers estimate that worldwide this trend could result in an additional 330000 firerelated deaths and over a million more injuries between 2020 and 2100 However if global warming is limited to below 15 degrees Celsius the number of deaths could be reduced by halfTo establish this connection the international research team analysed fires and peak monthly air temperatures across more than 2800 cities in 20 countries including the United States China Australia and Britain representing over 20 per cent of the global population The findings could be useful for future urban planning and emergency response strategiesThe researchers measured how the frequency of different urban fire incidents such as building fires vehicle fires and outdoor blazes at sites like landfills changes in response to rising temperatures which aimed to evaluate the potential impact of global warming on various types of urban firesThere could be an 116 per cent increase in vehicle fires and a 222 per cent increase in outdoor fires by 2100 but a 46 per cent decrease in building fires under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario said the authors from the University of Science and Technology of China the RMIT University in Melbourne Shanghai Maritime University Charles Darwin University among othersThey also estimate that global warming could contribute to approximately 335000 firerelated deaths and 11 million injuries across all cities analysed between 2020 and 2100 Xinhua news agency reportedClimate change refers to longterm shifts in temperatures and weather patterns Such shifts can be natural due to changes in the sunrsquos activity or large volcanic eruptionsAlso ReadCities at highest risk as climate change increases heatwave mortality StudyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever