Scientists are calling for better land management alongside reductions in greenhouse gases as Europe faces record-breaking wildfires. By 1 July, wildfires had burned 28,000 hectares in France and 50,000 hectares in Spain, more than double the average for that time of year, with further destruction in the following week.
Research indicates that the June heatwave would have been 'virtually impossible' without climate change, with daytime highs 10 times more likely and night-time lows 100 times more likely than two decades ago. Experts also link the early heavy rains to the fires, as wet winters and springs fuel vegetation growth that later dries out and becomes flammable.
Julia Miller, a climate scientist at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, explained: 'If a period of active vegetation growth is followed by a period of drought and heat, vegetation becomes stressed and transforms into flammable wildfire fuel.' In Spain, a rain-heavy winter and spring led to above-average soil moisture, but subsequent heatwaves dried the extra vegetation, creating a fuel surplus.
The European Academies Science Advisory Council criticised EU fire policies for focusing on suppressing blazes rather than preventing conditions that allow fires to spread. Fernando Pulido Díaz, a fire prevention scientist at the University of Extremadura, said: 'Climate itself cannot provoke fires if there is no plant fuel, so fuel availability driven by absence of land management is a critical factor.'
Europe is bearing the costs of a hotter world it has failed to prepare for. The European Parliament released €120.55m from its solidarity fund to help Spain recover from last year's wildfires, with additional funds for Romania and Cyprus. The European Commission deployed a record number of firefighters this year.
