EU Faces Worst Wildfire Season on Record

A record one million hectares - equivalent to about half the land area of Wales - have burned across the European Union so far this year, making it the worst wildfire season since records began in 2006.

Spain and Portugal have been hit especially hard, with roughly 1% of the entire Iberian Peninsula scorched, according to EU scientists.

The worsening fire season in the Mediterranean has been linked directly to climate change in a study by the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College London. Experts warn that more frequent and severe fires across Europe are likely to continue in the future.

More than two thirds of the area burned in the EU is in Spain and Portugal alone. In Spain, over 400,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of this year, which is more than six times the average for this time period between 2006 and 2024. Neighbouring Portugal has also experienced a record burn area of 270,000 hectares so far, almost five times the average for the same period.

The combined burn area across the Iberian peninsula this year is 684,000 hectares, four times the area of Greater London, and most of it burned in just two weeks. Fires have been concentrated in forested areas of northern Portugal and in Spain's north-western regions of Galicia, Asturias, and Castile and León.

Smoke from the fires has greatly decreased air quality, with southerly winds sending smoke as far as France and the UK. The events have triggered the largest known deployment of the EU's civil protection mechanism's firefighting force.

According to the EU, the CO2 released by fires in Spain this year has reached a staggering 17.68 million tonnes, a record high since satellite data collection began in 2003.

Climate change exacerbates the conditions leading to wildfires, creating a vicious cycle where the fires also release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, further intensifying the climate crisis. Firefighters have been battling these blazes across Europe this summer, placing immense pressure on resources and personnel.

Overall, this catastrophic wildfire season serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate action to mitigate future risks.