Southern Europe is experiencing its most devastating wildfire season on record, with fires burning simultaneously across Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece, consuming over 500,000 hectares of forest and forcing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. The European Union has activated its Emergency Response Coordination Centre, deploying the largest civil protection operation in its history, including 40 firefighting aircraft, 2,000 firefighters from 15 member states, and military assets for evacuation and logistics support.
The fires, fueled by a prolonged heatwave that pushed temperatures above 45°C (113°F) across much of the Mediterranean basin, have overwhelmed national firefighting capacities. Greece alone is battling over 80 active fires, while a single massive fire complex in central Portugal has burned an area larger than the city of Lisbon. Satellite imagery shows smoke plumes visible from space stretching across the entire Mediterranean Sea.
Climate Change Connection
"What we are witnessing is climate change manifesting in real time," said EU Crisis Management Commissioner. "The fire seasons are longer, the fires are more intense, and the areas at risk are expanding northward. This is not an anomaly — it is the new baseline, and our infrastructure and response capabilities must be scaled accordingly."
Climate scientists have documented a clear trend of increasing fire severity across southern Europe, driven by rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and extended drought periods that create tinder-dry conditions. The fire season, which traditionally ran from July to September, now extends from May to November in many Mediterranean regions, straining firefighting resources and budgets.
The EU has announced an emergency €5 billion package for wildfire-affected regions, including immediate humanitarian relief, rebuilding assistance, and long-term investment in fire prevention infrastructure including firebreaks, controlled burns, and early warning systems. Experts emphasize that adaptation strategies must go beyond firefighting to include fundamental changes in land management, forest composition, and urban planning in fire-prone regions. The 2025 season has accelerated discussions about a permanent EU firefighting force, a proposal that had previously faced resistance from member states protective of their national sovereignty over civil protection.