Main content

Are Wildfires Really Burning More Land?

A Twitter debate erupted recently over an article in the Economist about the number of wildfires. We take a look at the numbers to see whether they have increased or decreased in the US and Europe. As usual, the story is more complicated than first appears.

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Tue 21 Aug 2018 01:50GMT
BBC World Service except News Internet

More episodes

Previous

Numbers Behind a Tweetstorm

Next

A no-frills life, automated fact-checking, Lord of the Rings maths

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sun 19 Aug 2018 18:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
  • Mon 20 Aug 2018 12:50GMT
    BBC World Service except News Internet
  • Tue 21 Aug 2018 01:50GMT
    BBC World Service except News Internet

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast

  • More or Less

    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life