Is climate change to blame for Europe's severe wildfires?
What's the story
A recent scientific analysis has found that the climate crisis has greatly increased the likelihood of extreme heat and drought in Spain and France, fueling massive wildfires. The study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium revealed that global warming made hot, dry, and windy weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France.
Impact assessment
Climate crisis worsened extreme heat in Europe
The WWA study also emphasized that the extreme heatwave at the end of June, which is believed to have claimed some 20,000 lives, was only possible due to the additional heat trapped by carbon pollution.
Another study had indicated that climate crisis-driven heat was "sucking soils dry" as extreme drought spread across Europe.
These findings highlight how global warming has intensified conditions for wildfires in Europe this year.
Severity ratings
Wildfires were also supercharged by climate crisis in 2025
The intense heat and dry conditions have resulted in very high "daily severity ratings," a metric used to assess the potential severity of a wildfire if ignited.
Studies of the 2025 wildfires also found they were supercharged by the climate crisis.
This year's wildfires in Western Europe were exacerbated by a wet winter and spring, which promoted vegetation growth that later dried out and fueled fires.
Health risks
Wildfires worsen air quality across Europe
The wildfires have released huge plumes of toxic smoke, increasing particulate pollution peak levels up to 20 times above what is considered 'fair air quality.'
Extremely poor air quality was felt as far as 400km away from the fires.
An estimated 1.5 million people a year have their lives shortened by wildfire smoke, highlighting the severe health risks posed by these climate-induced disasters.
Call to action
UN climate chief warns of fossil fuel dangers
UN's climate chief Simon Stiell warned that "these European megafires show how fast climate-driven extreme heat and dry landscapes can turn wildfires into devastating national disasters."
He stressed that humanity's continued reliance on fossil fuels is making these conditions more dangerous, and these megafires more deadly.
Stiell urged all countries to transition from fossil fuels to renewables and protect people from worsening climate impacts such as wildfires, megastorms, floods, and droughts affecting food production.