Europe's 2026 wildfire season exposes gaps in prevention policy — UnionPress

Record‑breaking fires in France, Spain and Greece have burned over half a million hectares, prompting calls for a shift from reactive firefighting to systematic prevention.

Europe is grappling with a wildfire season that has already surpassed the previous year's record, with more than 529,000 hectares scorched across the European Union. The scale of the blazes in France, Spain and Greece has forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents and tourists, and has raised urgent questions about the continent's preparedness for a climate that is becoming increasingly fire‑prone.

In France, a fire that ignited in the Saumos region on 22 July has consumed roughly 42,000 hectares, making it the largest blaze on French soil since the Second World War. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France 24 on 26 July that the country is battling between 30 and 40 separate fires each day, and that the total area affected had risen to more than 115,000 hectares by the end of July.

Spain is confronting a comparable disaster. A conflagration that spread across the province of Ávila and the western outskirts of Madrid has burned around 50,000 hectares, a figure officials describe as the biggest wildfire in Spanish history. Over 100,000 people have been forced to leave their homes or remain confined as flames threatened Madrid, Ávila, Toledo and Castellón.

Greece's situation is no less dire. On the island of Crete, more than 200 firefighters have been engaged in a large fire near Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region. Thousands of residents and holiday‑makers have been evacuated, and three Greek firefighters have lost their lives. By 10 August, new ignitions near Athens required the deployment of at least 172 firefighters and around 40 vehicles.

Human activity remains the primary trigger for wildfires in Europe, with cigarettes, agricultural machinery, campfires, faulty electrical infrastructure and deliberate arson all cited as ignition sources. Yet the magnitude of this year's fires cannot be explained by sparks alone. The continent is warming faster than any other region on the planet. Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that 95 % of Europe has experienced above‑average annual temperatures in recent years, leaving virtually no area untouched by the heat.

Higher temperatures accelerate evaporation, drying out soils, grasses and forest undergrowth. Prolonged heatwaves turn once‑moist vegetation into tinder, allowing fires to spread rapidly and burn far larger areas than would have been possible a decade ago. While climate change does not light the match, it creates the conditions for a single spark to become a catastrophe.

Rural depopulation compounds the problem. For generations, small‑scale farmers managed the landscape through grazing, firewood collection and regular clearing of underbrush. As young people moved to cities for education and work, many of these traditional practices faded. The resulting abandonment of marginal lands has allowed dense, dry vegetation to accumulate, providing abundant fuel for any future blaze.

When a fire erupts, governments rush to spend millions on aircraft, helicopters and emergency crews. The visual impact of aerial water drops and fire‑break lines is immediate and politically rewarding. Yet an analysis of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism reveals that 80 % of the €368.4 million allocated for wildfire‑related measures has been directed toward reactive actions, leaving only 20 % for preventive work.

Preventive measures, such as clearing vegetation around settlements, restoring firebreaks, supporting grazing in high‑risk zones and conducting controlled burns during winter, do not generate headline‑grabbing images. Their success is measured by the fires that never happen, a reality that can be politically inconvenient.

Europe's €70 billion annual climate‑adaptation budget is growing, but the distribution of those funds often mirrors the reactive‑first approach. Forests are owned by a patchwork of state agencies, municipalities, private companies and individual landowners, making coordinated prevention difficult. Long‑term forestry plans, traditionally drafted for decades, struggle to keep pace with climate shifts that are occurring on a much shorter timescale.

Environmental scientists argue that a more balanced allocation of resources could dramatically reduce the scale of future disasters. Targeted clearing of dead wood and underbrush around towns, roads and power lines can create effective firebreaks without compromising biodiversity. Dead wood, while a fire hazard when overly abundant, also provides habitat for insects, birds and fungi, and contributes to soil health; therefore, indiscriminate removal would be counter‑productive.

Grazing is highlighted as a win‑win solution. By supporting farmers who keep goats and sheep in fire‑prone zones, governments can revive a traditional land‑management practice that reduces fuel loads while sustaining rural economies. Satellite monitoring, drones and automated cameras are increasingly capable of detecting smoke and heat signatures early, giving fire services precious minutes to respond before flames spread.

Union representatives from firefighting and forestry sectors have warned that the current funding model places frontline crews under constant strain. "We are asked to fight ever larger fires with the same equipment," one union spokesperson said. "If we invested in preventive work, the pressure on our teams would be far lower and lives would be saved."

The European Commission has already signalled a willingness to strengthen cross‑border cooperation on wildfire management, but concrete steps remain limited. The recent request for assistance from France and Spain under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism underscores the need for a more integrated approach.

Member states face a choice: continue to pour money into emergency response, or re‑orient a portion of that spending toward land‑use planning, rural revitalisation and early‑detection technology. The latter would require coordination across ministries of agriculture, environment, interior and finance, as well as engagement with local authorities and private landowners.

For households, the stakes are clear. Wildfires threaten homes, tourism revenue and public health, especially as smoke contributes to respiratory problems. Insurance premiums in high‑risk regions are already climbing, and many families cannot afford the added cost of fire‑proofing measures.

From a broader European perspective, the economic impact of large‑scale fires extends beyond the immediate damage. Disruption to transport corridors, loss of timber resources and the strain on public services all feed into a cycle that can hamper growth, particularly in already vulnerable southern economies.

While it is impossible to prevent every ignition, the evidence suggests that Europe can dramatically lower the likelihood of fires turning into disasters. Shifting a larger share of the climate‑adaptation budget toward preventive land management, supporting grazing and other traditional practices, and deploying modern detection tools would address the root conditions that allow fires to spread.

Policymakers must also confront the social dimension of rural depopulation. Incentives for young people to remain in or return to farming communities, such as subsidies for sustainable grazing, investment in broadband and access to education, could revive the stewardship that historically kept fire risk in check.

In the short term, the immediate priority remains protecting lives and property. Yet the longer‑term challenge is to redesign Europe's relationship with its landscapes so that the continent is not forced to react to each new blaze. The 2026 wildfire season may become a turning point if governments choose to learn from the devastation and invest in the preventive measures that will safeguard both people and the environment for years to come.