Burning Bans Have Altered Burned Area Changes in China Since 2003

Abstract Understanding the spatiotemporal variability of vegetation fires is crucial for effective fire management. However, systematic assessment of fire regime changes across China is still limited, particularly given the strict implementation of the open cropland burning bans since 2014. In this study, we demonstrate that these stringent burning bans have substantially altered burned area dynamics in China from 2003 to 2024, influencing both long‐term trends and seasonal variability. Northeast China and North China together account for more than three‐quarters of the total burned area in China, with North China serving as the primary center of burned area prior to 2014. Since 2014, however, the primary center has shifted to Northeast China, where burned areas from March to May have increased by more than fourfold. This surge can be attributed to the accumulation of crop straw in croplands during the preceding autumn months, compounded by concurrent climate warming and reduced snow cover.