More likely, more intense: record Mediterranean wildfire season

By the Climate Centre

Climate change made the hot, dry, windy conditions that fuelled the wildfires EU scientists say have left 1 per cent of the entire Iberian peninsula charred and burnt some 40 times more likely and 30 per cent more intense, a “super-rapid” WWA study issued today finds.

A contributory ten-day heatwave – including Spain’s hottest such period on record – was 200 times more likely and 3°C hotter because of climate change, while “large population shifts from rural areas to cities has resulted in overgrown farms and forests, which is increasing the amount of fuel available for wildfires,” it adds in a press release.

The findings on Spain and Portugal agree with a full attribution analysis released last month on wildfires in Cyprus, Greece and Türkiye, which concluded climate change made the fire weather there about ten times more likely and 22 per cent more intense.

Europe’s total burned area surpassed a million hectares last month for the first time since records began in 2006.

‘Healthier, more resilient landscapes’

Sara Casas, Environment and Climate Change Programme Manager at the Spanish Red Cross, said today: “The Spanish Red Cross is witnessing first-hand how the climate crisis is fuelling more frequent and devastating wildfires, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and putting entire communities at risk.

“Beyond emergency response, we are working to strengthen prevention and resilience from awareness and risk reduction campaigns in vulnerable communities to large-scale reforestation and ecosystem restoration projects led by our volunteers.

“These initiatives not only reduce CO2, but also help reduce fuel loads and create healthier, more resilient landscapes. While climate change is making megafires more likely, we know that coordinated action and long term adaptation measures can save lives and protect our environment.”

Marta Neves, climate action focal point at the Portuguese Red Cross, adds: “In response to the increasingly severe wildfires of recent years, the Portuguese Red Cross has been actively supporting both the operational staff on the front lines – such as firefighters and other civil protection agents – by improving their working conditions through the provision of dignified rest spaces where they can sleep, eat, and maintain proper hygiene.

“While climate change has undeniably amplified the scale and intensity of these fires, it is also important to acknowledge that most wildfires are catalysed by negligent human actions. This reality highlights the urgent need to strengthen community awareness and prevention efforts, fostering a shared responsibility to protect people, nature, and our common future.”

The latest WWA study also highlighted the strain on firefighting resources in Europe: Spain last month made its first ever request for international firefighting reinforcements to the European Civil Protection Mechanism, while in the same week requests for firefighting assistance were also made by Greece, Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro.

Spanish Red Cross volunteers last month coordinate with city officials in Badajoz to provide meals and medical support to people temporarily displaced by wildfires. (Photo: CRE via social media)