EU Faces Worst Wildfire Season on Record Amidst Climate Crisis

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

Spain and Portugal have been particularly hard hit, with roughly 1% of the Iberian Peninsula scorched according to EU scientists. The worsening fire season in the Mediterranean has been linked directly to climate change as cautioned by the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College London.

Over two-thirds of the burned area in the EU is attributed to Spain and Portugal. In Spain alone, more than 400,000 hectares have been affected, significantly surpassing previous averages and leading to severe environmental impacts, including high CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, fires in Portugal have reached about 270,000 hectares.

Southern and Eastern Europe face the additional challenge of rural depopulation contributing to the intensity of these fires. As many young people move to cities for jobs, previously manageable agricultural lands are becoming overgrown and dense with flammable vegetation, increasing fire risk.

Experts are concerned that without effective management and policy changes, dangerous wildfire seasons could recur, driven by ongoing climate change and insufficient control measures.