From the sub-Antarctic to the tropics, five island biodiversity strongholds threatened by wildfire

Climate change shifts many global fire regimes towards more intense and frequent fire. This threat is well documented in mainland environments. However, lightning-ignited catastrophic wildfires also occur on remote islands. Many seabird species breed only on islands, making them especially vulnerable to fire.
Near-to-real time fire detection is a challenge for remote islands, and limited infrastructure hinders fire response efforts. Here, we document five fires occurring in globally recognised seabird breeding habitats across diverse climates, during 2017–2024. We review estimates of seabird mortality, remote sensing datasets for lightning, weather and optical and infrared fire imagery, in relation to seabird nesting locations.
We find limitations in the applicability of satellite-based fire detection technology for small islands, resulting in delayed detection. Faster detection and response would likely have resulted in significantly reduced loss of seabird habitat. Policy measures also reduce the availability and expediency of response efforts after detection occurred, in cases where no human occupation or infrastructure was present. Given the rate of global extinction, a higher priority and resource allocation towards fire detection, monitoring and response is needed for remote islands. Based on the case studies, we make three recommendations for technology, policy and fire management on islands: improve remote fire detection for coastal areas, prioritise more-than-human lives, and undertake proactive vegetation management by creating fire-resistant and retardant corridors in island vegetation