The wildfires ravaging Europe this summer are reaching unprecedented levels of intensity. According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 1,015,731 hectares have already been reduced to ashes – an area larger than that of Corsica. This figure, as of 21 August, marks a new record since statistics began in 2006, far exceeding the 988,524 hectares burnt in 2017.
The scale of the area destroyed can be attributed to the increasing frequency of heatwaves, persistent drought and strong winds, which are fuelling the rapid spread of the flames. Spain, which has been ravaged by numerous deadly fires, has suffered the heaviest toll, with more than 400,000 hectares devastated – nearly 40 per cent of the European total. The country has already lost four lives in the west, which has been particularly hard hit by out-of-control blazes.
Portugal, which in 2017 experienced the deadliest wildfire season in its history with 119 deaths, has once again been hit hard. More than 274,000 hectares have been destroyed since January, an unprecedented figure for this time of year. Three people have died in the fires, whilst thousands of residents have had to be evacuated as a matter of urgency.
National records broken in several countries
Aside from the Iberian Peninsula, other countries are recording unprecedented figures. Germany, Cyprus and Slovakia have already surpassed their annual records for the past twenty years. In Romania, nearly 126,000 hectares have gone up in smoke, an alarming figure for a country that is generally less prone to wildfires. In France, the situation remains a cause for concern despite a more limited area affected: 35,600 hectares have burnt, a large proportion of which in theAude, where a fire of rare intensity mobilised hundreds of firefighters in early August.
The European authorities point out that the EFFIS figures only take into account fires that have destroyed at least 30 hectares. The actual toll, including the many smaller fires, is therefore even higher than the official estimates.
A season that illustrates the increasing risk
The fact that the figure for the area burnt has exceeded one million hectares highlights the alarming trend towards more severe forest fires in Europe. Global warming is lengthening the fire season, increasing the vulnerability of the soil and making crisis management more difficult. Experts stress that the increase in these mega-fires is likely to continue if extreme temperatures become the norm.
In response to this situation, European solidarity is being mobilised. The EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated on several occasions this summer, enabling water-bombing aircraft and additional personnel to be sent to the worst-affected countries. But on the ground, firefighters are struggling to contain fires whose intensity often exceeds conventional fire-fighting capabilities.
To keep up to date with ongoing operations, our real-time tracking map Fire detection systems enable you to monitor the onset of fires and how they develop. You can also view the fire risk map, updated daily, so that you can find out the risk level in your department.