The new JRC Advance report on Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2024 shows that in 2024 Ukraine had the worst fire season ever recorded in the EU Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS). According to satellite imagery, nearly one million hectares (965 000 ha) burnt in Ukraine in 2024, which is more than twice the area burnt in the entire European Union during the same period. Most major fires occurred in summer, when conditions were dry and hot.
The spatial distribution of the fires matches the line of the war front between Ukraine and Russia, showing the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion on Ukraine’s forests. The effects of the conflict appear to have been worse in 2024 than in previous fire seasons since the war started.
A devastating year for Portugal
2024 was the worst year for forest fires in Portugal since 2017, with 147 000 hectares of land affected. Critical fires occurred early in the wildfire season on the isle of Madeira. Then, around mid-September, a number of large fires broke out simultaneously on the mainland. Over 110 000 hectares burnt in just one week – around a quarter of the total area burnt in the EU in the 2024 season.
How the 2024 wildfire season evolved in the EU and beyond
A wider view shows that 2024 was a fairly average year with mild fire impacts across the EU, thanks in part to the intermittent rainfall during the summer. Good levels of water moisture in the vegetation reduced fire danger conditions, limiting the number of fire ignitions and preventing fire spread.
Wildfires burned nearly 1.9 million hectares across Europe, Middle East and North Africa. After Ukraine and Portugal, the largest burnt areas were in Türkiye, North Macedonia and Italy. Ukraine, Türkiye, Italy, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Lebanon had the largest number of ignitions.
Around 147 609 hectares of burnt land in the EU were protected areas, including areas that are part of Natura 2000, the network of protected areas covering Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. This corresponds to around 70% of the amount recorded in 2023 and less than half of the 2022 total. Portugal, Bulgaria and Spain accounted for nearly 60% of the total area burnt in these protected areas.
The role of the EU in addressing wildfires
The EU Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS) timely monitored and mapped nearly 1.9 million hectares burnt across Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism played an important role in tackling many of these fires, providing real-time satellite-derived Copernicus maps to delineate affected areas and assess the damage.
When a disaster such as a wildfire hits, any country in the world can request assistance via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Assistance in the form of firefighting airplanes, helicopters, equipment, and teams is then sent in a coordinated, rapid and effective manner, showing European solidarity.
Background
The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) is supported by the Expert Group on Forest Fires, which is a network of 43 countries that exchange harmonised information on forest fires and assess their effects in Europe. It is also a platform for exchange of good practices on fire prevention, firefighting, restoration, and other fire management activities.
Since 2015, EFFIS is one of the components of the Emergency Management Services of Copernicus, the EU Earth observation programme which provides information on the planet and its environment from both satellite monitoring and in-situ data.
Natural and man-made hazards – Fires
Wildfires (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations website)
Emergency Response Coordination Centre map
O artigo foi publicado originalmente em JRC.
