Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires
- Description
Carbon dioxide released by wildfires in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.
- Data source
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Unit
- tonnes
- Date range
- 2003-2026
- Last updated
- 2026-09-18
- Next expected update
- 2026-09-25
- Managed by
- Pablo Rosado
CO₂ emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect, influencing global warming and climate change.
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Frequently asked questions
How did Our World in Data process this data?
How did Our World in Data process this data?
All data and visualizations on Our World in Data rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers. Preparing this original data involves several processing steps. Depending on the data, this can include standardizing country names and world region definitions, converting units, calculating derived indicators such as per capita measures, as well as adding or adapting metadata such as the name or the description given to an indicator.
At the link below you can find a detailed description of the structure of our data pipeline, including links to all the code used to prepare data across Our World in Data.
Data sources
Global Wildfire Information System – Seasonal wildfire trends
Global Wildfire Information System – Seasonal wildfire trends
The dataset provides a weekly comprehensive overview of fire activity and its environmental impact, incorporating data from the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) and satellite imagery from both MODIS and VIIRS. It includes metrics such as the area of land burnt, cumulative burnt areas, carbon dioxide emissions from fires, cumulative carbon emissions, the number of fires, and cumulative fire counts.
It draws on two satellite sensors: MODIS (1km resolution, available from the early 2000s) and VIIRS (375m resolution, available from 2012). VIIRS's finer resolution means it picks up smaller fires that MODIS misses. Because the combined record only extends back to 2012, this dataset is best suited for tracking the current fire season and recent trends rather than long-run historical comparisons.
Global Wildfire Information SystemHow to cite
How to cite this page
How to cite this page
To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:
“Data Page: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires”, part of the following publication: Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado, and Veronika Samborska (2024) - “Climate Change”. Data adapted from Global Wildfire Information System. Retrieved from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260918-102538/grapher/annual-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html [online resource] (archived on September 18, 2026).How to cite this data
How to cite this data
If you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in DataFull citation
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. “Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires – GWIS (MODIS & VIIRS)” [dataset]. Global Wildfire Information System, “Seasonal wildfire trends” [original data]. Retrieved September 18, 2026 from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260918-102538/grapher/annual-carbon-dioxide-emissions.html (archived on September 18, 2026).All data produced by third-party providers and made available by Our World in Data are subject to the license terms from the original providers. Our work would not be possible without the data providers we rely on, so we ask you to always cite them appropriately. This is crucial to allow data providers to continue doing their work, enhancing, maintaining and updating valuable data.
All data, visualizations, and code produced by Our World in Data are completely open access under the Creative Commons BY license. You have the permission to use, distribute, and reproduce these in any medium, provided the source and authors are credited.
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