The forest fires in Europe seem to become a “rule”. Climate change exacerbates drought and reduces rainfall, increasing the risk even further. Within a week in the fall of 2024, devastating fires burned more than 100,000 hectares of land in Portugal – an area about Hong Kong size. The smoke was even visible from space. It is one of the largest forest fires in Europe that same year.

The possible fires of such a scale in the future is great, the scientific community says. “Many areas of Europe have been experiencing a significant increase in drought for years, which leads to an increased likelihood of fires,” Thomas Elmkvist, Director of the Environment of the European Council of Scientific Counseling (EASAC), told DW. “Some areas may be confronted with such devastating fires every two years,” he adds.

Climate change, agriculture and urbanization

Europe is the continent that is heated at the highest speed of the world. In the last 30 years, temperatures have risen twice as much more than the global average. Increasing drought and rainfalls are expected to double the risk of fire by 2100, Elmkwist says.

In addition, the constant voltage of urbanization is yet another aggravating factor. Abandoned agricultural land and uncontrolled vegetation have created flammable conditions – a “fertile” ground for fires, according to scientists. Extensive monocultures, especially conifers, pine and eucalyptus, are also extremely flammable. The highest risk in Germany, for example, is located in the northeast of the country due to pine trees, Elmmkwist said.

Fewer but more devastating fires

Having watched the forest fires for two years, the expert concluded that the number of fires and the total damaged area in Europe have actually diminished, “because we have more ability to fight them,” he says. However, the fires will become larger and more devastating, adding, with Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece being at the center, as scientists have found.

However, Mediterranean countries are better prepared for fires compared to other European countries, Claudia Berchold of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft observes.

Controlled burns, ecosystems restoration, training

Experts point out that it is vital to implement faster and consistently policies such as EU law to restore nature, mainly for sustainable forest management. In addition, controlled grazing and surveillance of land burns can drastically reduce the intensity of fires.

Of course, “not all fires are bad,” said Elmkwist: low -intensity fires can be part of a natural cycle and boost vegetation.

Curated by: Chryssa Vachcevanou