EU lost 500,000 hectares of forest to fire in 2023
The EU lost 500,000 hectares of forest last year, the European Commission reported on Tuesday. This makes 2023 one of the worst years for forest fires since the EU started keeping records in 2000.
"Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of forest fires," said Climate commissioner Wopke Hoestra on Tuesday. "The forest fires of 2023 show once again that we are not ready to face these risks. We need to invest more to better prepare and prevent these fires."
With 500,000 hectares burnt, equal to one sixth of Belgium's territory, 2023 ranks among the five worst years since the Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) was created in 2000. A major contributor to the losses was the fire near the Greek city of Alexandroupolis in August, the largest fire ever recorded by EFFIS.
41 lives lost
At least 41 people died in forest fires in the EU last year. More than 40 per cent of the area burned belonged to Natura 2000, Europe's network of protected natural areas. However, last year was not as bad as in 2022, when almost 900,000 hectares of nature were destroyed.
While countries such as Portugal and Greece had to contend with fires, preliminary figures show that this year's damage appears to have been less severe than in the past three years. The report points to the abundant rainfall during the spring and summer, but also to the efforts made by the Commission and member states in terms of prevention, preparation and fire-fighting capacity.
© PHOTO VALERIE GACHE / AFP
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