Rising heat and falling rainfall worsen wildfires, experts confirm.
Europe’s 2025 wildfire season has shattered records for land destroyed.
Over one million hectares have burned in the EU this year, exceeding Corsica’s land size.
The burnt area is four times larger than last year’s total.
Countries Struggle Under Unrelenting Flames
Officials declared more than 1,800 forest fires, releasing over 38 million tonnes of CO₂.
Among EU’s 27 members, only five nations reported no fires: Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Malta.
Italy and Romania led in number of blazes, each surpassing 450 incidents.
Cyprus recorded just three wildfires, but their destruction was extreme.
Spain lost more than 400,000 hectares, while Portugal lost 260,000 hectares, equating to 3% of its territory.
Preparing Landscapes for Survival
Experts warn future wildfire conditions will intensify, straining firefighting capacities.
Held stresses fire systems already operate at their limits.
He insists on reshaping landscapes for resilience and safer firefighting operations.
Methods include vegetation clearance, livestock grazing, and controlled burns.
Other strategies use agroforestry systems that merge farming with tree cover to strengthen ecosystems.
