Mediterranean areas are increasingly at risk of fires due to the combination of rising temperatures, drought, and increasingly favorable weather conditions for the spread of fires.
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This is highlighted by a Greenpeace study that starts from data from Effis European Forest Fire Information System, the European satellite monitoring system managed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission within the Copernicus program, according to which «between January 1st and July 22nd, 2026, 36,600 hectares of territory went up in smoke in Italy, about 80% more than the average for the same period between 2006 and 2025 (20,329 hectares)».
A growing phenomenon
In the latest available update, referring to July 22nd, «the area affected by fires in Italy was approximately 19 thousand hectares, an area larger than the entire territory of the Municipality of Milan». In the European Union, as of July 15th, 2026, 167,326 hectares had already burned, an area larger than the average for the period 2006-2025.
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Increasingly vulnerable territories
«The fires that are affecting various areas of Italy these days are yet another sign of territories increasingly vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis – underlines Martina Borghi, from Greenpeace Italy’s Forests campaign – . What we are witnessing is not simply a difficult summer: the fire season is becoming longer and earlier. Fires are one of the most evident signs of a changing climate». These conditions affect the regions grappling with fires that in recent days have led to evacuations, serious damage to forests, biodiversity, and agricultural activities.
Between climate and arson
«In Italy, the ignition of fires often has human origins – adds Borghi -, but it is the climate crisis that creates increasingly favorable conditions for their propagation, making fires more intense and difficult to manage, with high temperatures, drought, and sirocco wind contributing to fuel the flames and making extinguishing operations more difficult».
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