Climate Change Blamed for Europe's Worst Wildfire Season on Record

In the summer of 2025, Europe experienced an unprecedented wave of devastating wildfires that swept across Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, leaving vast swathes of land scorched. Now, a new study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) has blamed climate change as the primary driver behind these deadly blazes.

The analysis found that the wildfires were 10 times more likely to occur due to global warming, which has led to hotter and drier conditions in the region. In fact, 2025 has been recorded as Europe's worst year on record for wildfires, with the fires burning over 1 million hectares (2.47 million acres) and killing 20 people while forcing 80,000 to evacuate.

Researchers from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College in London warn that the situation is only going to get worse unless countries rapidly transition away from fossil fuels. "Today, with 1.3°C of warming, we are seeing new extremes in wildfire behavior that has pushed firefighters to their limit," said Theodore Keeping, a researcher at the center. "We are heading for up to 3°C this century unless countries more rapidly transition away from fossil fuels."

The study found that the wildfires were driven by temperatures above 40°C (104°F), extremely dry conditions, and strong winds, all of which have become more frequent and intense due to climate change. Experts say that the pattern of high-pressure systems that strengthened the Etesian winds, which typically die down to allow firefighters to control the blazes, can no longer be relied upon.