Fires burn across Southern Europe as EU helps coordinate emergency response

BUCHAREST, Aug 28 (AGERPRES/APP/DNA):Southern Europe is battling severe wildfires as record-breaking heat and dry conditions have turned forests into firetraps.

The European Union is stepping in to help countries coordinate emergency responses, with thousands of firefighters and dozens of aircraft working to bring the flames under control.

As of August 19, wildfires have destroyed over 1 million hectares across the EU in 2025 — the worst fire season since data collection began in 2006, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The fires have also released an unprecedented 35 megatons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

A combination of a wet spring and an intense heatwave that has sent temperatures above 40°C has made conditions ripe for fast-spreading fires, particularly across the Mediterranean and Balkan regions.

To help tackle the crisis, EU countries are using the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM),  a system that helps coordinate aid between EU and partner countries during disasters. By mid-August, the UCPM had already been activated 16 times, matching the total number of activations for the entire 2024 season.

A massive fire near Piódão in central Portugal burned for 11 days and destroyed over 64,000 hectares. In total, fires have destroyed over 250,000 hectares in the country this year. After criticism for acting too slowly, Portugal activated the UCPM on August 15 and received support including firefighting aircraft from France and Greece, and firefighters from Estonia and Malta.

Spain is facing one of its worst wildfire seasons ever, with more than 400,000 hectares burned. The country activated the UCPM on August 13, its first time ever requesting EU assistance for fires. Help quickly arrived from 10 countries including France, Italy, Germany, Finland, and Romania, making it the largest UCPM activation of the summer.

France experienced its largest wildfire since 1949, with a fire in the Occitania region burning 16,000 hectares. One person died, and 25 were injured. Over 2,000 firefighters were deployed. France has not formally activated the UCPM but is receiving help from Slovakia.

With fires continuing across Greece, the country is hosting 323 firefighters from several EU countries under a UCPM pre-positioning program. Greece has also activated the mechanism twice this season and is sending help to other countries, including Albania, Cyprus, and North Macedonia.

Fires in Albania led to two UCPM activations, in July and August. EU countries including Croatia, Italy, and Slovakia sent aircraft and assistance. One person died in the fires, which also destroyed hundreds of hectares.

Bulgaria has battled 3,500 fires since July, many requiring UCPM air support. Bulgarian firefighters have also been sent abroad to help in Greece and North Macedonia.

With climate change expected to make extreme heat and wildfires more common, the EU is investing in firefighter training and public awareness. Countries like Slovenia have built advanced firefighting training centres, while France is testing sensor technology that detects early signs of fires using satellite-connected devices attached to trees.

At the “Pont du Gard” in southern France, more than 120 sensors are being trialled. If successful, up to 13,000 sensors could be installed by summer 2026 to help firefighters act faster.

Despite claims on social media denying the heat, official data confirms that temperatures exceeded 40°C in several areas across southern Europe in mid-August. The summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded globally, and 2025 is on track to continue the trend.