The increase in zombie fires in the north may be the result of rising temperaturesA recent study highlights the possibility of "zombie fires" spreading to northern regions such as Alaska and Canada due to rising temperatures. Zombie fires originate in boreal forests, where flames feed on peat (organic material transformed into coal) deep in the soil. Although extreme cold and heavy snow eventually prevent most fires, the right conditions can create fires that do not go out, like zombie fires, as they remain fueled in the soil and survive on the oxygen available under the snow. Zombie fires and high temperaturesScholten's team found that zombie fires were, predictably, more widespread after hotter summers that saw large fires occur over large areas. This loop of emissions and warming could make more zombie fires more likely, creating a cycle that causes more emissions, and so on.
