Sixth‑Generation Wildfires Surge Across Spain, France and Portugal

Emeritus professor Domingos Xavier Viegas of the University of Coimbra warned that the newly identified "sixth‑generation" wildfires are becoming increasingly common as climate change intensifies. These fires release more than 10 megawatts per metre of energy, with recent incidents in Spain and France reaching 20, 30, 40 and even 60 megawatts per metre. The extreme energy creates self‑generated wind, rendering aerial suppression ineffective and making the fire front unpredictable.

Viegas explained that control is possible only on the tail and flanks, using bulldozers or creating discontinuity zones, while authorities focus on protecting and evacuating residents. He also classified Portugal’s catastrophic 2017 fires, which killed over a hundred people, as sixth‑generation events. The researcher stressed that such fires will likely occur more frequently, posing growing challenges for European fire‑fighting strategies.

The phenomenon underscores the broader impact of climate change on wildfire behavior and highlights the need for revised emergency response measures across the affected countries.