Europe has witnesses an uptick in the number of wildfires in 2025.
Wildfires in Mediterranean countries this month led to the mass evacuations and lockdowns in parts of Spain and threatening urban areas in France. In Catalonia, Spain, people in thousands were forced to remain indoors due to advancing fires, while flames reached the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city.
Why is Europe Witnessing Surge in Wildfire?
So far this year, approximately 227,000 hectares of land across Europe have been affected and scorched by wildfires, according to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). This has broken records of the past two decades as the figure is more than double the average for this time of year.
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While significant, this year’s fires have not yet surpassed the worst seasons recorded by EFFIS. The agency began tracking data in 2002. In the past 2003 and 2017 have been devastating years particularly when fires consumed over 1.1 million hectares—an area roughly the size of a place like Jamaica.
It has not been ascertained yet that how many hectares of forest have fallen to 2025 fire season as peak summer months are still ahead. However, as of early July 8, Europe had recorded 1,118 wildfire events which is up from 716 during the same period in 2024.
Mediterranean Most Affected With Wildfires
Syria and Greece have seen various incidents of wildfires as the recent heatwaves have fueled fire outbreaks in the Mediterranean region
Syria has lost about3% of forest cover to wildfires, according to the United Nations. Thousands of residents were evacuated from the Greek islands of Evia and Crete, as flames neared the residential areas.
Scientist say that despite these alarming incidents Mediterranean fires this year, while destructive, have largely remained isolated rather than widespread.
What is Driving The Wildfires in Mediterranean?
Mediterranean has a hot and dry climate and the dry summers creates ideal conditions for wildfires. If a fire gets ignited here, it can spread quickly as the vegetation is dry and the region experiences strong winds.
Experts say that climate change is the key factor for the intensifying wildfires in the region. In recent yeas, rising temperatures and long dry spells have led to earlier and more intense fire seasons. Due to climate change, the Mediterranean region, particularly, has witnessed record breaking fires.
Also, since the pre-industrial times, global temperatures have increased by 1.2 degree Celsius. Scientist attribute this rise to the green house gas emissions from the fossil fuel burning.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, since 1980s, Europe has warmed at twice the global average rate.
What is the Forecast for Summer?
EFFIS has forecast warmer-than-average temperatures across Europe for August. If the forecast comes true, there will be continued high fire risk in southern and eastern parts of the continent. Forecast says that while southern Europe may experience normal rainfall, the rest of the continent is expected to be drier than usual-raising the possibility for fire outbreaks in other regions as well.
In Greece, government is ramping up preparedness. Greece. It has deployed a record 18,000 firefighters this year and revised its firefighting strategies to focus on early detection and rapid response.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
