Human activity behind most European wildfires, heat worsens impact

Human activity is the primary cause of nearly all wildfires in Europe, with climate change intensifying their severity, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

Southern Europe, particularly France and Spain, is battling extensive wildfires this summer, with an area equivalent to the size of Gotland already burned in the two countries. The fires have claimed lives and forced the evacuation of over 300,000 people, AFP reports. A new heatwave now threatens to hinder firefighting efforts.

In France, one volunteer firefighter has admitted to starting a blaze, while 162 others have been detained on suspicion of arson. In Italy, reports suggest some fires may have been spread using stray cats.

Johan Sjöström, a wildfire researcher at the RISE research institute, states that while the exact cause of about 40 percent of wildfires remains unknown, roughly 95 percent of European fires—and 90 percent of Swedish fires—with confirmed origins are human-caused. He estimates that intentional arson accounts for only 10 to 20 percent of European wildfires, and is virtually nonexistent in Sweden for larger blazes.

Climate change does not significantly increase the number of fires, Sjöström notes, but it worsens their intensity and difficulty to control. Prolonged drought and strong winds—the worst conditions for wildfires—have become more frequent, a trend linked to human-driven climate change, according to a report by the World Weather Attribution network.

Other factors influencing wildfire severity include overgrown landscapes, which provide more fuel, and the efficiency of emergency response. Sweden’s rapid initial response helps contain fires while they are still small.