Climate Change Made Wildfire Conditions 20 Times More Likely in Spain and Twice as Likely in France: WWA

Why in News?

A new study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that human-induced climate change made the wildfire weather in central Spain about 20 times more likely and in south-west France about twice as likely during July 2026.

What did the report say?

• The study attributes the increase in wildfire risk to rising global temperatures caused by human activities. 
• A combination of rapid vegetation growth earlier in the year, followed by prolonged heatwaves and severe drought, created highly flammable conditions that allowed wildfires to spread rapidly.

Impact of the Wildfires

• Between 13 and 28 July 2026, wildfires burned around 140,000 hectares in Spain, while 115,000 hectares have burned in France since the beginning of the year. 
• The fires claimed three lives and forced nearly 300,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Worst-Affected Areas

• In Spain, the most severely affected regions were Ávila, Madrid, Toledo, Guadalajara, and Castellón. The Ávila wildfire, which burned around 44,000 hectares, became the largest wildfire in Spain's history. 
• In France, the Gironde department near Bordeaux witnessed the worst fire, burning 40,000 hectares, making it the country's second-largest wildfire since World War II.

How was the study conducted?

• Researchers analysed historical weather data using the Daily Severity Rating (DSR), an internationally recognised wildfire danger index. 
• DSR considers factors such as high temperatures, low humidity, drought conditions, and strong winds to assess how easily fires can spread and how difficult they are to control.

Major Findings

• The study notes that the Earth's average temperature is now around 1.4°C higher than the pre-industrial (1850–1900) level. 
• Under the current climate, such severe wildfire conditions are expected to occur once every 20 years in south-west France and once every six years in central Spain. 
• Climate change has made these conditions twice as likely in France and 20 times more likely in Spain.

Expert Observations

• Climate experts emphasized that these wildfires are not isolated natural events but are closely linked to anthropogenic climate change. 
• Rising temperatures, repeated heatwaves, and prolonged droughts are increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfire-prone conditions across Europe.

Recommendations

• The report calls for stronger wildfire prevention measures, improved forest management, better early warning systems, enhanced firefighting capacity, and faster climate adaptation efforts. 
• It also stresses the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit future climate-related disasters.

About World Weather Attribution (WWA)

• The World Weather Attribution (WWA) is an international scientific initiative that studies how human-induced climate change influences extreme weather events, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires, using attribution science.
  

FAQs: Climate Change and Wildfires in Spain & France (WWA Report)