The world's most catastrophic wildfires -

The intensity and destruction of wildfires around the world have grown exponentially in recent years. Following Australia's Black Summer and California's record-breaking wildfires in 2020, each subsequent year has seen even more brutal disasters, setting terrible new records in many different countries. 

Texas is currently experiencing the worst wildfire in state history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire broke out in Northern Texas on Monday, February 26, but soon exploded to engulf the Texas Panhandle, tearing through 60 counties and parts of Southern Oklahoma. The inferno had spread across 1.1 million acres by Thursday, February 29, making it the largest wildfire in state history. One person has been killed so far, while others are being forced to evacuate and abandon their homes. The region is experiencing widespread power outages and news outlets have reported melted lampposts and powerlines split in two. Fire officials say the blaze is only 3% contained and it continues to rage out of control. Rain expected on Thursday may help them to gain some footing, but dry conditions and high winds are forecast on Friday. 

Click through the following gallery to learn more about the most catastrophic fires in recent history.

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Hawaii, 2023 -

The Hawaiian island of Maui was ravaged by a fast-moving wildfire that began to intensify on August 8, 2023. The fires were whipped up by winds from Hurricane Dora which was passing to the south. The rapid spread took the islanders by surprise and terrifying videos show both adults and children jumping into the ocean to escape the flames that engulfed the historic town of Lahaina. Once busy streets were destroyed, leaving behind burnt-out cars and the rubble of countless homes and businesses. Tragically, more than 100 people were killed by the time the fires died out three days later. 

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Canada, 2023 -

Canada officially marked its worst wildfire season on record in 2023, and smoke from the blazes actually crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached Western Europe at the end of June. The smoke from the wildfires previously covered New York City in a cloud of smog, and on June 26, it actually spread as far as Portugal, Spain, and even the UK. It traveled via the jet stream, meaning strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere allow it to stay in the atmosphere longer and travel farther.

The fires burned a devastating 45 million acres of land. This surpasses the previous benchmark set in 1995 for the total area burned, which was at least 17.5 million acres, according to fire statistics from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Nine deaths were attributed to the fire. 

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Canada, 2023 - A wildfire in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 28 prompted the evacuation of 16,000 people and damaged about 200 houses and other structures, CBS reports. The fire on Canada's Atlantic coast was so massive it even prompted air quality alerts as far south along the US East Coast as New Jersey, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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US, 2022 -

A devastating brush fire broke out in the Orange County city of Laguna Niguel on the afternoon of May 11. It quickly spread along the coastline, exploding from 30 acres to 200 acres in size within an hour. Local firefighters struggled to control the expansive blaze, which burned through at least 20 homes and damaged another 11 structures.

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US, 2021 -

The Marshall Fire broke out in Boulder, Colorado on December 30 and spread quickly due to strong winds. In less than 24 hours, tens of thousands of people had been evacuated and almost 600 homes destroyed. Several people were burned and two elderly people lost their lives in the fire. The severity of the situation was exacerbated by 105 mph (169 km/h) gusts of wind that drove the wildfires further across the region. It has been classified as the most destructive fire in Colorado history. 

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US, 2021 -

The Caldor Fire in California originally broke out on August 14 of 2021 and burned approximately 221,775 acres. It destroyed more than 700 buildings, most of them homes, and injured two residents. It burned for more than two months before being fully contained. 

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US, 2021 -

In the US, the Dixie fire that raged through California became the second biggest in history. It burned over 463,000 acres of land and displaced thousands of people. A historic gold rush town was destroyed in the blaze. 

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Greece, 2021 -

Greece was hit with more than 150 wildfires during the summer of 2021. Many of the most serious blazes broke out close to Athens, the country's capital. Two lives were lost and thousands of residents and tourists evacuated. Many people were asked to confine themselves in their home to avoid the toxic smoke hanging over Athens and its surrounding areas. 

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Greece, 2021 -

The fires came close to some of Greece's most precious ancient heritage sites. The Acropolis, pictured here, is surrounded by smoke under a hazy red sky due to nearby wildfires. 

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Turkey, 2021 -

Greece's neighbor, Turkey, experienced a similar disaster. The country's southern and western coasts were engulfed in flames following record-breaking temperatures and drought. Around 160,000 hectares of forest were burned and several lives lost. Thousands were evacuated from holiday resorts and nearby towns, some even escaping by boat.  

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Italy, 2021 -

The number of summer forest fires in Italy tripled in 2021 compared to their yearly average. Many of the southern and central regions of the country were affected, with 10,000 hectares destroyed during a single three-day blaze. Thousands of people were displaced, farms destroyed, and animals killed. 

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USA, 2020 -

More than four million acres of land were burned by wildfires in the Golden State, according to state fire agency Cal Fire. This greatly surpassed the all-time record of 1.9 million acres set during the 2018 California wildfires. The fires caused the deaths of 31 people, including three firefighters. 

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Australia, 2019-20 -

Blazes raged throughout Australia, with devastating consequences. The record-breaking temperatures reportedly helped these fires to spread even further.

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Australia, 2019-20 - Code Red alerts were put out, indicating the worst conditions, and air pollution severely affected major cities.  

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Australia, 2019-20 - The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season is colloquially known as the Black Summer. It caused 34 direct deaths and 417 indirect, and scorched over 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres). An estimated three billion animals were killed or harmed by the fires. 

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USA, 2018 -

Twin wildfires burning through Northern California, known as the Mendocino Complex Fire, became the state’s largest on record, scorching more than 459,000 acres.

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USA, 2018 - The Mendocino Complex Fire consisted of two fires, the Ranch Fire and the River Fire. The complex burned the area around Clear Lake, which covers several counties.

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USA, 2018 - The fires around the region took almost two months to fully contain.

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Greece, 2018 - Multiple fires broke out in the region of Attica, north of Athens, on Monday, July 23, 2018.

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Greece, 2018 - The deadly fires have claimed the lives of 103 people and more than 140 injured.

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Greece, 2018 - Many survivors took to the sea in an attempt to flee the blaze, which was spurred on due to strong, high winds. This was Greece's worst wildfire tragedy in more than a decade.

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Portugal, 2017 - The June wildfires near Pedrógão Grande, central Portugal, killed more than 60 people—the country's largest loss of life due to a forest fire.

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Portugal, 2017 - Most casualties happened when the fire engulfed a road where many were escaping in their cars.

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Portugal, 2017 - More than 1,700 firefighters battled the flames for days, and Prime Minister António Costa declared three days of mourning.

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USA, 2017 -

The California wildfire season in 2017 was one of the most destructive ever, with a death toll of 43.

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USA, 2017 - The devastating Thomas Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California's modern history, burned over 281,000 acres of land.

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USA, 2017 - The 2017 wildfires caused over US$10 billion in damages, as reported by CNN.

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Greece, 2007 - The series of fires stretched from June to September, and burned terrifyingly close to historic sites in Athens.

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Australia, 2009 - Several wildfires blazed through Victoria, Australia, for over a month in February 2009. The event is now known as the "Black Saturday Bushfires."

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Australia, 2009 - The tragedy claimed the lives of around 170 people and injured over 400, while also killing millions of the country's wildlife.

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Russia, 2010 - In 2010, Russia experienced unprecedented weather conditions, including one of the worst heatwaves since 1890.

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Russia, 2010 - The climate provided the ideal setting for a devastating fire to strike, which ended up killing around 60 people.

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USA, 2011 - The Wallow Fire completely ravaged the Bear Wallow Wilderness area in Arizona as soon as it started on May 29.

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USA, 2011 - Fortunately, there were no casualties. Overall, it burned about 841 sq miles (2,180 sq km) of land across the states of Arizona and New Mexico.

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Israel, 2010 - Also known as “The Carmel Disaster,” this forest fire started on Mount Carmel, northern Israel, and prompted the evacuation of 17,000 people.

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Israel, 2010 - The biggest wildfire in Israel's history burned for days and claimed over 40 lives.

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USA, 1988 - The Yellowstone National Park was struck by devastating fires in the summer of 1988. They burned from June all the way through to November.

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USA, 1988 - More than 25,000 firefighters from around the country were brought in to fight the flames.

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China, 1987 - Known as the "Black Dragon Fire," this catastrophic fire burned 28,141 sq miles (72,884 sq km) of forest along the Amur River.

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China, 1987 - The fire destroyed three million acres of forest reserves across China and Russia, and it remains one of the most destructive wildfires in history to this day.

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Australia, 1939 - The January bushfires killed over 70 people and left scores without a home in Victoria, Australia.

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Australia, 1939 - A whopping five million acres of land were completely destroyed, and ashes from the blazes even reached New Zealand.

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USA, 1871 -

Considered the deadliest wildfire in American history, the Peshtigo Fire is thought to have taken the lives of around 1,500 people (although the toll could have been as high as 2,500 since most official population records were burned).

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USA, 1871 -

The October forest fire roared across almost four million acres in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was sparked by rail workers who were clearing land to build new tracks.

See also: The worst natural disasters of this millennium

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