Recent devastating wildfires in Spain and France have been fueled by extreme fire weather made significantly more likely by the climate crisis. Scientific analysis indicates that global heating, caused by the burning of oil, gas, and coal, made hot, dry, and windy conditions at least 20 times more likely in central Spain and twice as likely in southwestern France.
While wildfires are not a new phenomenon in Europe, they are burning more intensely than in previous years. Firefighters have spent weeks grappling with blazes that threatened major towns and cities, reflecting a spike in Southern Europe's burning over the past eight years. These giant fires are becoming more common, posing potentially dire consequences for Europe’s economies.
Experts say that while a single spark may start a fire, the conditions for Europe's biggest blazes have been created by climate change, drought, and decades of forest management decisions. Scientists warn that decades of progress in fire suppression across Southern Europe are now being overwhelmed by this climate-driven fire weather.