Spain and Portugal Fires Were More Intense Because of Climate Change
Extreme weather conditions that can lead to fires are about 40 times more frequent.
A damaged building among burnt fields following a wildfire in the village of San Vicente de Leira, Spain, on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. In Spain more than 31,000 people have been forced to evacuate, with flames consuming 3,482 square kilometers of land this year.
Photographer: Brais Lorenzo/BloombergClimate change made the extreme weather conditions that fueled the wildfires in Portugal and Spain about 40 times more likely to happen and the blazes themselves 30% more intense than if the world hadn’t warmed, research scientists said.
The 10-day heat wave that preceded the blazes was 3C hotter in an already overheated planet, according to a study by World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists at the Imperial College in London. The conclusions were based solely on an analysis of weather data.