Why Are Forest Fire Seasons Becoming Longer in Southern Europe

Why are forest fire seasons becoming longer in Southern Europe? This article explains the role of climate change, drought, land use, and human activity.

Written by Warrence Oghenevwegba

published on January 25, 2026, 9:53 P.M

Wildfires have long been a seasonal risk in Southern Europe, particularly across Mediterranean landscapes shaped by hot summers and dry vegetation. What has changed in recent years is not just the intensity of these fires, but their timing. Fire seasons that once followed a relatively predictable summer window are now starting earlier, ending later, and placing sustained pressure on ecosystems, emergency services, and regional economies.

Why are forest fire seasons in Southern Europe expanding beyond their historical boundaries, and what factors are driving this shift?

This exploration unpacks the interconnected drivers behind this trend using evidence grounded in climate science, environmental management research, and real wildfire data.

A Sea of Heat and Drought: The Climate Connection

At the core of longer fire seasons is a changing climate. Rising average temperatures and frequent extreme heatwaves create conditions that dry soils and vegetation earlier in the year and keep them dry for longer periods later into autumn. This is especially true in Southern Europe’s Mediterranean zone, where hot, dry summers have become longer and more severe than in previous decades due to global warming.

Climate models and satellite data show that the traditional fire season—from roughly early June to mid-September—is stretching on both ends. For example, records show that serious wildfires are occurring earlier in spring and can persist well into late autumn, extending the period when landscapes are fire-prone.

One scientific assessment projected that, by the end of this century, southern Europe could see dramatic increases in fire-season length, with additional fire-prone days accumulating each decade as heatwaves intensify.

In short, when nests of dry vegetation are primed earlier and quench their fuels later in the year, the length of fire season naturally expands.

Heatwaves Amplify Risk Beyond Seasonal Norms

It is not just incremental warming that matters. Extended heatwaves dramatically raise wildfire risk. Extreme heat not only dries out fine fuels—like grasses and leaf litter—but also destabilizes soil moisture and plant water content. Combined with low humidity, the fire danger becomes widespread and persistent.

Attributing studies from recent burn seasons in Spain and Portugal concluded that the weather patterns driving extreme wildfires have become far more likely due to long-term warming, with such conditions occurring multiple times more frequently than they would in a climate untouched by human emissions.

This shift in fire weather doesn’t just raise the number of high-risk days. It reshapes the very calendar of fire season, drawing out the window of vulnerability.

The Human Footprint: From Land Use to Ignition Sources

Climate is only one piece of the puzzle. Human activity exerts a direct influence on fire regimes both as ignition sources and through land management patterns.

In Europe, an estimated 95 percent of wildfires are directly or indirectly caused by people—whether through negligence, discarded cigarettes, poorly managed campfires, or even arson.

Simultaneously, rural depopulation and changing land use have left many forested and agricultural landscapes under-managed. Traditional grazing, controlled burns, and regular forest stewardship have declined as rural populations migrate toward cities. This has led to an accumulation of combustible fuels—dry grasses, shrubs, and deadwood—across landscapes that once had lower fire risk due to active land management.

These human dimensions of fire risk interact with climate drivers to make ignition more likely, spread faster, and burn longer.

Ecosystems Under Stress: Dryness, Disturbance, and Flammability

Beyond climate and human ignition factors, ecological changes also influence fire dynamics. Extended drought events stress forest health, making trees more susceptible to insect infestations and disease. This can lead to increased tree mortality, creating more dead, dry biomass that acts as fuel.

Disturbances like bark beetle outbreaks in drought-stressed forests not only weaken trees but transform landscapes from relatively moist and fire-resistant systems into highly flammable ones—further amplifying the duration and severity of fire seasons.

Real-World Cases: Southern Europe in a Warming World

The trend toward longer, more intense fire seasons isn’t theoretical. Multiple reports from wildfire authorities document this growing challenge.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System reveal that the fire season is not only longer but includes serious wildfires outside the “traditional” peak months. Recent years have recorded wildfire events starting before early summer and extending into autumn, significantly widening the period of risk.

For example, the 2025 fire season across the European Union was on track to burn record areas, with data already showing exceptionally high totals early in the year due to early fire starts combined with ongoing extreme conditions.

This matches on-the-ground reporting from Southern European countries such as Spain, where some of the hottest summers on record correlated with widespread fire activity and evacuation orders during extended heatwaves. 

Towards Resilience: Adaptation, Prevention, and Preparedness

Recognizing that longer fire seasons are not an isolated anomaly but a structural shift, authorities across Europe are adapting their approach.

Efforts include investing in improved wildfire management capacity, such as expanding aerial firefighting fleets, strengthening cross-border response cooperation, and incorporating nature-based solutions like fuel management, landscape restoration, and strategic fire breaks.

Moreover, educational campaigns aimed at reducing human ignitions, community level preparedness, and proactive landscape stewardship are seen as essential to reducing overall wildfire risk.

These strategies signal a shift from reactive firefighting to integrated fire risk management, acknowledging that prolonged fire seasons require innovative responses that merge climate adaptation with local and regional planning.

Conclusion: Reimagining Fire Season in a Changing Climate

Forest fire seasons in Southern Europe are becoming longer not because of any single factor but due to a confluence of climate change, human behavior, ecological stressors, and landscape transformations. Rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves, prolonged droughts, and altered land use are reshaping fire regimes, making fire seasons stretch beyond their historical boundaries and increasing both frequency and intensity of wildfire events.

This trend challenges communities, ecosystems, and policy systems to rethink how fire risk is managed and encourages a collaborative, forward-thinking response. Without concerted efforts to mitigate climate change, manage landscapes sustainably, and reduce ignition risk, the fire seasons Southern Europe once knew may become a relic of the past.

Are we ready to step up to the evolving challenge of prolonged fire seasons with effective climate action and adaptive land stewardship, or will we wait until wildfire risk becomes even harder to control?