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

The article analyses the magnitude of the extreme events associated with the recent wildfires in Spain and France, using an existing protocol (Philip et al., 2020) and a well-established index as a benchmark (e.g. Calheiros et al., 2020; Silva et al., 2023). Furthermore, it compares the results with a climate 1.4 °C cooler, representing a world without human-induced warming (based on Forster et al., 2026). The team concludes that, whilst the expected return period for these events is somewhat unusual, the intensity of the DRS index has increased by >40% for both countries compared with a climate that is 1.4 °C cooler, attributing this to the combination of a very wet winter—with high precipitation levels that promote vegetation growth—and an extremely hot summer, leaving a large amount of dead fine fuel available to fuel these fires. It also analyses trends in soil moisture and surface temperature relative to the historical time series to clarify the influence of these drought conditions on fire risk.

Whilst other specific variables have not been considered – such as synoptic conditions and their impact on local weather, or whether this year we are facing truly anomalous conditions – the article provides a thorough review of the literature and current data, prompting us to reflect on whether we are facing an anomalous year or a genuine trend that is becoming increasingly common. It goes on to review the literature on changes in land use, which have increased the population’s vulnerability, and the effects of fires on air quality, with a direct impact on our health. The article is, above all, a wake-up call in the wake of recent events – events which are not only historically significant in their own right, but which have also occurred simultaneously and earlier than usual in terms of seasonality – warning of the consequences these extreme events will have both for the populations directly affected (evacuations, losses, exposure to smoke) and for the rest of the population (carbon emissions, pollution, land management).