In 2023 there were fires in France, Croatia, Italy and even Germany. In the EU alone, twice the area of neighboring Germany was destroyed by forest fires last year.
The fires produced about 20 megatons of CO₂ emissions. There are fears that climate change will make forest fires even more common in the future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects around 27 percent more wildfires globally in 2050 than in 2000. However, experts emphasize that the fires are usually due to human activity, arson or negligence, and are usually not caused by climate change. The risk of fire is particularly high around the Mediterranean region, according to a map published on X (formerly Twitter) A final report for 2023 with more detailed information is expected in autumn 2024. The fire weather conditions involving drought, heat and wind usually occur seasonally. But recent years have shown that the forest fire season in Europe can now extend throughout the year. It is not the cause of forest fires itself, but that its circumstances are increasingly encouraging them.