EU Wildfires Mark Worst Year on Record

EU Wildfires Mark Worst Year on Record
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According to a report by The Guardian, wildfires have scorched over 1 million hectares in the European Union this year, making it the worst year on record since data collection began. This record was broken a full month before the fire season is expected to end.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which goes back to 2003, shows that the 1,015,024 hectares burned this year surpassed the previous record of 988,544 hectares set in 2017. The destructive blazes have also released 37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions of Portugal or Sweden.

Scientists note that the “perfect conditions” for these large and dangerous wildfires are occurring more frequently due to a combination of climate change and changes in land use. This year’s record-breaking fires followed a series of heatwaves that dried out vegetation, allowing the fires to burn hotter and spread farther. The majority of the fires have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula, with Spain and Portugal being the hardest hit.