When wildfires make their own weather

Weekend essay  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

AJ Hess | August 08, 2026   “The world is on fire” is often a hyperbolic expression. This summer, it wasn’t. From Spain to Spokane, fires have devastated communities over the past few weeks, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes, painfully exhibiting what John Vaillant describes in TIME’s Weekend Essay as “an age ablaze.” This age, he predicts, will include water-resistant pyrocumulonimbus fire clouds, landscapes unable to support agriculture, and climate refugees. Fire has a poignant way of pointing out how climate change impacts us all—myself included. In 2003, my family was evacuated from a series of fires that burned thousands of acres and many of our neighbors’ homes in what felt like the blink of an eye.  This increasingly universal experience of “weather whiplash” should unite us all, Vaillant argues.      WEEKEND ESSAY What happens when the world is on fire Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Images: Albert Llop/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Julien De Rosa—AFP/Getty Images) Water bombers, the air cavalry of wildfire fighting, buzz the treetops like air show stunt pilots as they save the day with surgical drops of water or orange retardant.  But what happens when those drops have no effect? When, as a pilot working the massive Gironde Fire just west of Bordeaux, France, described it, “The environment above the fire is so hot that my payload of 10,000 liters of water evaporates in the air.” Mathieu Jomain, a commander and 26-year veteran in Gironde’s fire service, compared the fire’s intensity to “a meteorological nuclear bomb.” This is the new reality of wildfires in the 21st Century: they hit different. And, too often now, the water doesn’t hit at all.  From America to Algeria, dangerous blazes are occurring around the world, giving us a glimpse into an age ablaze. We should all be asking the question: What will this age entail?  In Spain, where several massive fires are burning with comparable ferocity, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared, “We are facing the most significant and aggressive fire in Spain’s history.” Spain is more than 500 years old. Across France and Spain alone, approximately a third of a million people have been displaced, the largest evacuations since World War II, but that is just one among many examples. This summer, evacuations are ongoing across Europe, from Portugal to Turkey. Earlier this summer in Germany, evacuations were ordered in record-breaking heat after a wildfire triggered explosions in a nature reserve strewn with leftover ordnance from World War II.  Between drought, heat, and wildfire, much of the world is summering in record-breaking territory. The U.K., its iconic green landscape now parched to desert brown, is suffering one of its worst droughts since record-keeping began. Eight time zones away, Spokane, Washington, endures similarly outlandish temperatures as it continues to battle the most destructive wildfire the city and state have ever seen. John Valliant is the author of "Fire Weather: On the Front Lines of a Burning World." Read the full essay here…     PRESENTED BY Get 15% Off Coffee Pods Roasted Days Ago Angelino's roasts, grinds, and seals 50+ specialty coffees in-house at their LA roastery, then ships within days. Mix and match to unlock up to 34% off — and new customers get 15% off on top, applied automatically. No code, no subscription required. Get 15% Off Today     A MINUTE OF YOUR TIME Hackers come for America’s water Over the last two weeks, cyberattacks have affected dozens of municipal water facilities, including at least 30 in Minnesota and nine in Michigan. Here's what you need to know about the attacks in less than a minute.     PRESENTED BY Short on cash? Get up to $750, no credit check. Access up to $750* from your upcoming paycheck within minutes for a small fee, or wait 3 days and get it for free. No credit check. No late fees.  Get Started Now *Not all users will qualify. Advances range from $25–$750; average advance is $170. Express transfer fees may apply.     Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW     PRESENTED BY Daily news for curious minds. Be the smartest person in the room. 1440 navigates 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive, unbiased news roundup — politics, business, culture, and more — in a quick, 5-minute read. Completely free, completely factual. Sign up now!   EMAIL US: thebrief@time.com   More Newsletters from Click to sign up. D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +HEALTH MATTERS +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME +   Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe