Climate threat Extreme weather in Europe

“Climate not the main cause of the fires”

The forest fires in Europe, which have been bigger than ever this year, can be stopped. It is even easier to prevent them than to fight them, several experts tell Politico.

“Climate change plays a role here, that’s for sure, but it is not the main cause. It cannot be used as an excuse for governments not to implement the necessary preventive measures,” says expert Jordi Vendrell.

Portugal and Spain have been particularly hard hit during this year’s record-breaking fires. One reason for this is uncontrolled vegetation in the countryside as a result of urbanization, which has created good conditions for fires to spread.

Forest experts, researchers and conservationists agree that the solution requires diverse habitats, fire escapes and a rural policy that ensures that farmers and shepherds can make a living from managing the land.

2025 a record year for forest fires in EU countries

So far this year, more than one million hectares have been ravaged by forest fires in the EU – a record since measurements began in 2006, according to AFP's analysis of data from the EU's climate service Copernicus.

The previous record year, 2017, saw just under one million hectares burn throughout the year – a record that has now been surpassed.

The worst-hit are Spain and Portugal, which are still fighting fires. In Spain, 400,000 hectares have burned, almost 40 percent of the total in the EU. In Portugal, the figure is 274,000 hectares. France and Romania are third and fourth on the list.