Unprecedented fires in Gironde, Bouches-du-Rhône, Brittany… Mega-fires in the Amazon, Australia, and even Siberia. For some time now, our planet has been affected by spectacular fires, fueled by drought and persistent heat waves.

Climate scientists are sounding the alarm: these devastating fires will increase due to climate change. How can we combat this phenomenon?

By starting to understand it… and raising awareness among as many people as possible.

From fires to megafires

Taming fire, understanding it, fighting fires… These are just some of the topics explored by this exhibition, designed and presented in 2018 at the Cité des Sciences in Paris. For its presentation in Toulouse, the Quai des Savoirs decided to expand on it with the creation of an immersive multimedia show on the latest developments in mega fires, the impressive forest fires that destroy thousands of hectares across the planet every year.

Today, fire remains as terrifying and untamable as ever when it escapes our control. This phenomenon has been amplified since our planet entered the era of mega fires.

A history of fire

Synonymous with warmth and conviviality, but also with violence and destruction, fire is ambivalent. It comforts and frightens, protects and threatens, fertilizes and destroys. Mastering it has been of major importance to humanity. Since its domestication, fire has been part of our daily lives, but it was not until the 18th century and advances in chemistry that the mystery was solved and scientists understood this chemical reaction called combustion. This understanding paved the way for industrial development based on the driving power of fire, generating both technical progress and harmful consequences for the environment and health.