Prevalence The most common cause of wildfires varies throughout the world. In Canada and northwest China, lightning operates as the major source of ignition. In other parts of the world, human involvement is a major contributor. In Africa, Central America, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, South America, and Southeast Asia, wildfires can be attributed to human activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and land-conversion burning. In China and in the Mediterranean Basin, human carelessness is a major cause of wildfires. In the United States and Australia, the source of wildfires can be traced both to lightning strikes and to human activities (such as machinery sparks, cast-away cigarette butts, or arson). Coal seam fires burn in the thousands around the world, such as those in Burning Mountain, New South Wales; Centralia, Pennsylvania; and several coal-sustained fires in China. They can also flare up unexpectedly and ignite nearby flammable material . Wildfires caused by humans account for 40\% of wildfires in British Columbia, and are caused by activities such as open burning, the use of engines or vehicles, dropping burning substances such as cigarettes, or any other human-related activities that can create a spark or a heat source sufficient to ignite a wildfire. Hundreds of fires were burning in 2019 in British Columbia and a quarter of them were caused by humans .
 Coal seam fires burn in the thousands around the world, such as those in Burning Mountain, New South Wales; Centralia, Pennsylvania; and several coal-sustained fires in China. They can also flare up unexpectedly and ignite nearby flammable material .
D
Prevalence
D
The most common cause of wildfires varies throughout the world. In Canada and northwest China, lightning operates as the major source of ignition. In other parts of the world, human involvement is a major contributor. In Africa, Central America, Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, South America, and Southeast Asia, wildfires can be attributed to human activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and land-conversion burning. In China and in the Mediterranean Basin, human carelessness is a major cause of wildfires. In the United States and Australia, the source of wildfires can be traced both to lightning strikes and to human activities (such as machinery sparks, cast-away cigarette butts, or arson).
D
.
D
Wildfires caused by humans account for 40\% of wildfires in British Columbia, and are caused by activities such as open burning, the use of engines or vehicles, dropping burning substances such as cigarettes, or any other human-related activities that can create a spark or a heat source sufficient to ignite a wildfire. Hundreds of fires were burning in 2019 in British Columbia and a quarter of them were caused by humans