What Is Wildfire Risk, and How Is It Changing?
Provided by: Probable Futures|Published on: January 27, 2026|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Sierra Chapin-Keller
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this article from Probable Futures, students will learn about wildfire risk and how it is being impacted by changing weather and human activity.
- Students will learn how climate change increases wildfire risk, the factors that contribute to wildfire risk, and different aspects of life that are impacted by wildfires.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article is well-organized and concise, allowing students to access the information without becoming overwhelmed.
- The website does a great job of linking to related articles that may be of interest to students.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with climate change and understand that carbon is captured by and stored in plant life.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After reading this article, teachers can make connections to risk management practices, especially those backed by traditional ecological knowledge, such as controlled burns. This video does a great job of connecting these practices to an idea mentioned in the article, misguided suppression techniques.
- Students can create guides for others that explain how to be prepared for wildfires and what to do to prevent them.
- Teachers can use this article as a hook for a lesson on the relationship between wildfires and climate change. Teachers can use this lesson or create their own.
- Students who are exploring the UN Sustainable Development Goals can analyze this article to determine which of the SDGs are impacted by increased wildfire risk.
This resource presents a thoughtful introduction to wildfire risk. Key terms are clearly defined, and the text is clearly organized. The common objection that wildfires have always occurred is thoroughly addressed. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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