Can we stop Europe from burning every summer? Will wildfires spread further as the planet warms? Is your city, your town, or your village more at risk today than a decade ago?
The rules of firefighting are changing as the planet warms, and wildfire science is adapting too. Experts are analysing new data sets to help us predict when and where wildfires will break out, and creating smart networks across the continent, so we can learn from each other as we battle the flames.
To discuss the initiatives underway right now, look back at this summer’s unprecedented fire season, and forecast the future of fire prevention, we’ll be joined by an expert panel.
Climate Now Debate: How do we beat wildfires? October 28th, 11AM CEST
Our guests include:
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Mark Parrington, a wildfire emissions expert from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
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Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz, leader of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
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Cathelijne Stoof, a pyrogeographer and Assistant Professor at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.
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Marc Castellnou, Legendary firefighter and expert in the field of climate change and wildfire, Associate Professor at the University of Lleida in Spain.
Do you have a question for our panellists?
How much did Europe’s wildfires contribute to greenhouse gases in our atmosphere?
According to data gathered by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), carbon emissions from wildfires in the EU and the UK this summer, were at their highest in 15 years. These numbers were largely driven by wildfires in southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula, and in August alone 508,260 hectares of the EU were burnt. In total, from the beginning of the year until 3 September, 750,000 hectares were scorched, compared to an average of around 260,000 hectares in 2006-2021.
It wasn’t only Europe that was affected this year though. Wildfires in the Amazon hit a 10-year high too, with Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) registering 31,513 fire alerts from 1-30 August alone.
While wildfires are a natural, seasonal phenomenon and actually contribute to a healthy ecosystem, an increase in extreme weather conditions, such as prolonged drought and high temperatures is leading to an increase in high-intensity fires.
As yet, CAMS doesn’t have any data that directly links wildfires to climate change, but with 17 years of fire statistics, they can see that wildfires are driving the climate crisis by increasing emissions. And many climate scientists believe that wildfires will only increase as climate change leads to more and more extreme temperatures.
According to data gathered by the CAMS Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS), between 1 June and 31 August 2022, wildfires in the EU and the UK released an estimated 6.4 megatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, the highest level since 2007.
How did Europe tackle the blazes?
The EU has a broad range of national and international systems and networks designed to better understand the emergence of wildfires, fight them more effectively while they are burning, and monitor the effects after the flames have been brought under control.
On a continental scale, there’s the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), which was formed in 2013 in Brussels and now has 33 participating countries, including all 27 EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey.
Using data gathered by Copernicus, the ERCC monitors unfolding disasters and coordinates its response. They also manage rescEU, a pool of rescources that EU member states have pre-committed to the cause, including 12 firefighting aircraft, and a number of helicopters and medical evacuation planes.
This summer, the ERCC received requests for help from Albania, Czechia, France, Portugal and Slovenia.
The European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS, also monitors forest fire activity in near-real time. EFFIS supports wildfire management at the national and regional level for EU member states and across the Middle East and North Africa. EFFIS produces the near real-time observation of fire and burnt-areas across Europe, offering time-sensitive information to decision-makers and an extraordinary overview of the fire situation for all European citizens.
The rise in wildfires has also brought with it the risk of death for both emergency responders and local populations. In July, a firefighting pilot died in a plane crash while responding to a wildfire in Portugal. Heat-related deaths were also a big issue, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting that there had been 1,700 deaths in Portugal and Spain by 22 July 2022.
What can we do to prevent future fires?
The European Commission is currently running an online public consultation for its proposed new EU-wide framework for forest monitoring. The aim of the legislation is to create an open access information source on the condition and management of EU forests.
This is part of the European Green Deal, which aims to improve the quantity and quality of forests in the bloc. While it may at first seem counterintuitive to plant more trees as the risk of wildfires grow, making existing EU forests more diverse will increase their resilience. By creating mosaic landscapes, with a variety of different ecosystems and habitats, there would be natural firebreaks in the landscape, which may help to reduce the spread of wildfires.
Public education is also key. Though extreme temperatures are driving an increase in wildfires, many are also caused by human error or deliberately started, with BBQs and dropped cigarettes posing a huge risk during times of drought. Property owners can also take measures to protect their homes during wildfires too. From removing plastic guttering, to reducing fuel and wood storage, there are many ways to protect buildings and homes.
As climate change continues to drive up global temperatures, we are likely to see more intense wildfires across Europe. Join our panellists on 28 October at 11am CEST to discuss how the EU can respond.
Meet our panellists
Dr Cathelijne Stoof
A pyrogeographer and Assistant Professor at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, Dr Cathelijne Stoof also sits on the board of the International Assoication of Wildland Fire. She is also a national delegate of The Netherlands to the EU Expert Group of Forest Fires.
Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz
Leader of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz also co-ordinates and leads the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS).
Marc Castellnou, Associated professor, Universitat de Lleida
Legendary firefighter and expert in the field of climate change and wildfire, Marc Castellnou is Associate Professor at the University of Lleida in Spain. He is also a Wildland Fire Incident Commander for the Spanish government.
Mark Parrington, Senior Scientist at AMS/ECMWF
Mark Parrington is a senior scientist from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. His work includes monitoring wildfire emissions and emissions from athropogenic and natural sources. He has more than 15 years experience in the field of global atmospheric composition research.
Moderator: Jeremy Wilks
Euronews science reporter Jeremy Wilks covers everything from climate change to healthcare innovation. He has reported on science research, innovation and digital technology across Europe for over a decade. Jeremy is the presenter of the monthly Climate Now series on Euronews and presents the new Ocean Calls podcast.