Wildfires in France and Spain have been exacerbated by climate change, according to a new study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group. The analysis found that human-caused climate change made the extreme weather conditions fueling the fires twice as likely in southwestern France and 20 times more likely in central Spain. These findings come as ongoing wildfires have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and scorched vast areas of land.
The WWA study used historical weather observations to assess how 'fire-prone' conditions—hot, dry, and windy weather—have changed over time. The group concluded that greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, have increased the planet's average temperature to 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, significantly raising the risk of extreme wildfires. In today's climate, such intense fires are likely to occur once every 20 years in southwestern France and once every six years in central Spain.
Clair Barnes, a research associate at Imperial College London and co-author of the WWA analysis, emphasized that climate change is repeatedly increasing the likelihood of hot, dry, and flammable conditions conducive to wildfires. The study also highlighted an emerging pattern in Europe: a wet winter followed by a dry spring and summer, which leaves forests with large volumes of highly flammable fuel. Reducing wildfire risk requires not only emergency firefighting but also proactive landscape planning and management.
Meanwhile, firefighters in France reported hopeful progress in containing a massive forest fire near Bordeaux, which has displaced 220,000 people and destroyed around 240 homes. The fire, which broke out a week ago, has not spread beyond 42,000 hectares since the weekend. Firefighting chief Marc Vermeulen noted that hotspots had decreased from six to three, signaling a potential turning point in the battle against the blaze.
In Greece, wildfires on the island of Crete have led to the deaths of three firefighters and forced thousands of evacuations. Strong winds and high temperatures have made containment efforts difficult, with gusts reaching 125 km/h in some areas. The EU's emergency response center warned that Greece and Italy face heightened wildfire risks in the coming weeks due to record-breaking heatwaves across Europe.
The number of dangerous 'fire weather' days in Europe has more than doubled since the 1980s, according to a separate study. While the overall number of wildfires has decreased, those that do occur are happening under far more extreme conditions, making them harder to control. This trend is particularly pronounced in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece, where communities are increasingly vulnerable to extreme heat and smoke.
In France, firefighters have encountered fire clouds, a phenomenon never before seen in the region. These pyrocumulonimbus clouds, formed by the intense heat of wildfires, can generate lightning and powerful downdrafts that further fuel the flames. The size and ferocity of this summer's blazes in France are well outside the norm, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on wildfire behavior.
As Europe grapples with one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, leaders have warned of 'difficult days ahead.' French President Emmanuel Macron described this season’s wildfires as the worst disaster to face the country since World War II. The fires in Spain have burned over 10,000 hectares in the eastern Castellon region, while Greece continues to battle multiple blazes amid extreme weather conditions.