Europe, SANA_ Wildfires have ravaged southern Europe this month as heatwaves, intensified by fossil fuel-driven climate change, pushed temperatures above 40°C across the Mediterranean and Balkans. Prolonged spells of extreme heat dried out vegetation, fueling fires that spread rapidly, especially in Spain and Portugal where spring rains had earlier spurred plant growth.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) shows more than 1,015,000 hectares have burned this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2017 — with weeks of dangerous fire weather still ahead. So far, the fires have destroyed four times the average area burned over the past two decades.
The blazes have forced mass evacuations, devastated farmland, destroyed homes, and blackened forests, while also releasing 37 million tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to the annual emissions of Portugal or Sweden. They have also set new records for nine other pollutants, including deadly fine particulates (PM2.5), which experts link to severe health risks.
Although official figures confirm more than a dozen deaths, scientists warn the real toll is far higher. Smoke clouds filled with toxic particles penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, contributing to long-term health damage. A Lancet study has already attributed 111,000 annual deaths in Europe (2000–2019) to wildfire smoke exposure.
Fire scientist Cristina Santín Nuño of Spain’s National Research Council said that the “perfect conditions” for large, destructive wildfires are now occurring more frequently due to climate change and land use.
The EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service also reported unprecedented fire activity, with Spain’s wildfire emissions hitting their highest level in 23 years of records. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has further worsened air quality across the Iberian Peninsula.
Khadega / BA
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