Ancient Ferns Ignited Europe's Wildfire Past | Science News

Science News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 22, 2026 · 2m

Ancient Europe turned into a wildfire inferno 250 million years ago, when ferns—thriving on a warming, deforested planet—became the perfect fuel for catastrophic fires. Scientists uncovered this by analyzing 600-meter drill cores, finding charcoal and smoke compounds that spiked during a major extinction event. A breakthrough method using the unusual darkening of fossilized pollen revealed repeated, severe fires tied to fern dominance. These fast-growing “disaster species” fueled a vicious cycle of fire, destruction, and regrowth, painting a terrifying picture of how climate change and…