Scientists Link Devastating Wildfires in France and Spain to Human-Caused Climate Change

PARIS: Human-caused climate change has significantly increased the likelihood and intensity of the devastating wildfires that have swept across France and Spain in recent weeks, according to two new scientific studies released on Friday, as firefighters continue battling blazes across southern Europe.

Researchers from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) initiative found that climate change made the hot, dry and windy conditions fueling Spain’s recent wildfires at least 20 times more likely, while similar fire conditions in France were twice as likely because of global warming. Over the past 26 years, rising temperatures have tripled the risk of severe fire weather in Spain and increased it by about 40% in France.

A separate study published in the journal Scientific Reports concluded that the number of days with extreme wildfire conditions across southern Europe has more than doubled since the early 1980s, with fire-prone weather also becoming substantially more intense. Scientists attributed the trend primarily to increasing temperatures driven by greenhouse gas emissions.

The findings come as Europe continues to battle one of its worst wildfire seasons in recent years. France has already recorded more than 90,000 hectares of land burned in 2026—nearly double its previous record for the same period—while Spain has lost more than 200,000 hectares to wildfires. Greece also remains on high alert as firefighters continue to tackle multiple blazes amid persistent heat and strong winds.

Scientists emphasized that while improved forest management can help reduce wildfire risks, the increasing frequency and severity of extreme fire weather underscore the urgent need to reduce fossil fuel emissions and strengthen climate adaptation measures. They warned that continued global warming is likely to make such destructive wildfire seasons more common across Europe in the years ahead.