Southern Europe wildfire risk doubles, study finds FAST-MOVING
A study published in *Scientific Reports* by Raúl Cordero of the University of Groningen and colleagues reports that the number of summer days with high wildfire risk in Southern Europe has doubled since 1981. The increase is most pronounced on the Iberian Peninsula, where extreme fire‑weather days rose from fewer than 10 per decade (1981‑2010) to up to 25 per decade (2016‑2025).
Despite the higher risk, the 2016‑2025 decade saw fewer fires on average and smaller burned areas than earlier periods, a trend the authors attribute to improved fire‑management measures such as better firefighter training, more aerial firefighting assets, firebreaks and public education. However, accumulated fuels combined with climate‑driven heat, dryness and wind are creating conditions for rarer but larger megafires. In Spain, the burned area in 2022 and 2025 was significantly higher than the average for 1981‑2010. The researchers recommend strategies like controlled vegetation burning and a balanced approach to fire suppression to mitigate future large‑scale fires.
Entities: Raúl Cordero · Scientific Reports · Southern Europe · University of Groningen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Improved fire‑management measures such as better firefighter training, more aerial firefighting resources, firebreaks and public education have reduced fire numbers and burned area. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Spain’s burned area in 2022 and 2025 was significantly larger than the average for 1981‑2010. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The study was authored by Raúl Cordero of the University of Groningen and colleagues and published in *Scientific Reports*. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Accumulated vegetation fuel together with climate‑driven hot, dry, windy conditions increase the likelihood of rarer but larger megafires. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] On the Iberian Peninsula extreme fire‑weather days increased from fewer than 10 per decade (1981‑2010) to up to 25 per decade (2016‑2025). (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] During 2016‑2025 Southern Europe experienced on average fewer wildfires and a smaller total burned area than earlier decades. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Authors recommend controlled vegetation burning and a moderate fire‑suppression approach to reduce future large‑scale fires. (study authors)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Since 1981 the number of summer days with high wildfire risk in Southern Europe has doubled. (study authors)