Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire threats to date. France, Spain, Albania, Portugal, and Greece are battling deadly fires while facing sizzling temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wildfires on the continent aren’t entirely uncommon, but the climate crisis is now a key driver for the hotter demand, sizzling weather, and is thus setting up the continent for more ferocious fire seasons than unlike anything Europe has grappled with.
As of March 2023, Europe has fires blazed on the continent which has burned through more acres within the last year than any of the last 19 years, CNN analysis, alongside the European Forest Fire Information System, has confirmed.
On track for a projection date of 2025, Europe will experience the most expansive wildfire season. Driving the country to consume almost 2.4 million acres and more than double the amount of land burned and projected to be just over 865,000 acres.
As for Spain, the fire brought up chaos. Ordering the evacuation for thousands and deploying 1000 firefighters to the frontline did not stop the demand.As a Reuters report stated, a man died in the hospital after suffering burns over 98% of his body, resulting in a large fire outbreak in Tres Cantos close to Madrid burning over 2,500 acres.
Dozens of other fires continued to burn in the North-West region of Castille and Leon, although the fire had largely been contained by Tuesday.
Celebrity chef José Andrés was posting from the area where the beaches are located, showcasing the wildfires burning over the hills. Around 2000 people, including tourists were evacuated from the popular town of Tarifa in Southern Spain.
Temperatures in Southern Spain are rising over 110 degrees Fahrenheit this week, and the Spanish weather agency AEMET has warned of the extraordinary heat.
Europe’s Copernicus Emergency Management Service has stated that a large fire located close to Trancoso in Central Portugal has burned over 7500 acres, as well as around 1200 firefighters and 400 other vehicles being mobilized to battle a blaze. Fires around Portugal are also burning.
In Northern Portugal, far from the sea, the Vila Real district has experienced wildfires for the past ten days. The mayor, Alexandre Favaios, was reported saying, “We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue” as he described the atrocities of the relentless fires.
Reference Website:
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/12/climate/europe-wildfires-heatwave-drought
