Historian Stephen Pyne connects the current wildfires ravaging Southern Europe to humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels, framing it as a consequence of “fossil hubris.” He argues these fires aren’t simply natural disasters but a symptom of a larger, human-induced shift in the Earth’s energy balance. Pyne cautions against solely focusing on increasing firefighting resources, stating that a reactive approach misses the fundamental cause. He suggests the situation is akin to creating an “ice age…but with fire,” highlighting a drastic alteration of the planet’s climate. The fires represent a shift towards a more fire-prone world, demanding a reevaluation of energy policies and a wider understanding of our relationship with fire. Simply deploying more firefighting equipment won’t address the root of the increasing frequency and intensity of these events.