Experts say hotter temperatures and reduced rainfall from climate change intensify forest fires across Europe.
Europe’s 2025 wildfire season has burned record amounts of land.
Fires have destroyed over one million hectares, larger than the island of Corsica.
That area is more than four times last year’s total.
Wildfire Numbers Surge Across the EU
Authorities declared more than 1,800 forest fires, releasing over 38 million tonnes of CO₂.
Only the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Malta avoided wildfires among 27 EU nations.
Italy and Romania each recorded over 450 blazes, topping the list for fire counts.
Countries with the highest damage do not always report the most fires.
Cyprus logged only three fires, but each caused severe destruction.
Since January, Spain lost more than 400,000 hectares, and Portugal burned 260,000 hectares.
Those losses equal 0.8% of Spain and 3% of Portugal’s total land area.
Firefighting Struggles and Landscape Solutions
Held warned that future wildfires will strain firefighting systems further.
He urged preparing landscapes to increase resilience and allow safer firefighting.
Authorities can reduce vegetation through clearing, controlled burns, or grazing.
Agroforestry, combining crops and trees in the same area, offers another protective strategy.
