As summer approaches, the National Forest Office evokes fire -related risks. Some types of fire are extremely dangerous, such as zombie fires. They were also highlighted during the terrible fires in the summer of 2022 in France.
The different causes of fire starts
Many fires are of human origin: imprudence, throttles thrown, uncontrolled barbecues, poorly extinct campfires or acts of maliciousness. These behaviors can trigger disasters, especially in sensitive areas.
The periods of heat wave and extreme drought dry up soils and vegetation, creating a land favorable to fire departures. These conditions also make fires more difficult to control.
The danger of “zombie fires”
Initially, zombie fires occur in cold lands as in Alaska, Arctic or Siberia. The fire is triggered for a year. It is muffled by snow on the surface but continues to burn in peat, a soil composed of coal. With the melting of snow, zombie lights are triggered.
The Centralia coal mine, Pennsylvania (United States), has been burning since 1962. Despite multiple extinction attempts, the underground fire has never been completely mastered. This is one of the most emblematic cases of zombie fire.
When zombie fires hit France
The Gironde experienced devastating fires in 2022, with more than 30,000 hectares who left for smoke. Several months after their apparent extinction, fires started spontaneously, proof of the presence of zombie fires in the basements, rich in fuel matters.
In these areas, peat or deeply buried roots can continue to burn slowly. In Gironde, the floors have a strong presence of organic matter, such as coal.
The Gironde Departmental Council announced the stopping of Zombies fires in April 2025, three years later. Teams have even carried out work to stop fires. However, it is impossible to do work to master zombie fires in boreal forests or tropical peat bogs.
Climate change accentuates the phenomenon
Global warming causes soil drying up and the accelerated melting of permafrost in cold regions. These conditions facilitate the development and resurgence of zombie fires.
Zombie fires have been detected in areas formerly spared, such as Canada, Indonesia or even Australia. Scientists sound the alarm in the face of their multiplication.
These underground fires emit large amounts of greenhouse gases, including Co₂ and methane. They therefore help to worsen climate change, in a particularly disturbing vicious circle.
