Reacción a "A study attributes the “extreme” weather conditions that fuelled the fires in Spain and France to climate change"

The forest fires in south-western France and central and eastern Spain are unusually intense – they are mega-fires. This study indicates that climate change and forest management have a clear impact on changes in the behaviour of these fires.

In both France and Spain, the fires are of extraordinary magnitude; the areas ravaged by fire since the start of 2026 in both countries far exceed 100,000 hectares. They have been fuelled by the climatic conditions preceding the events, characterised by a prolonged lack of rainfall and temperatures close to, and at times exceeding, 40 °C during several consecutive heatwaves. In Spain, January 2026 was the wettest in the last quarter of a century, which encouraged abundant vegetation growth, followed by an unusually hot and dry spring and summer which drastically reduced soil moisture and dried out the biomass, leading to a build-up of fuel in forests, scrubland and grasslands – areas which, in many cases, have been neglected in rural areas.

Due to their intensity and scale, these fires are affecting not only ecosystems but also the population, who are being displaced and suffering the loss of their possessions and, in some cases, their livelihoods. They also affect health and are responsible for emissions of pollutants, particularly particulate matter (PM2.5), forcing thousands of people in other cases to remain confined to their homes due to poor air quality.

The evidence suggests that we are living in a new paradigm, in which these fires are now set to become our reality. Prevention through adaptive management tailored to these new circumstances, early warning systems, and cooperation in managing their control and extinguishing ‘must’ form part of this, if we are to preserve our well-being.