{"id":458626,"date":"2026-07-28T13:23:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=458626"},"modified":"2026-07-28T13:23:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:23:31","slug":"europes-wildfires-its-the-fuel-not-the-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=458626","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s Wildfires: It\u2019s the Fuel, Not the Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"485\" data-attachment-id=\"458628\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=458628\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1168,784\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"0 Europe\u2019s Wildfires  It\u2019s the Fuel, Not the Climate\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?fit=723%2C485&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?resize=723%2C485&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-458628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?resize=1024%2C687&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?resize=300%2C201&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?resize=768%2C516&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?resize=640%2C430&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent <strong>European wildfires <\/strong>(especially in 2026) are driven more by accumulated fuel loads from <strong>poor forest management policies<\/strong>, <strong>human ignitions (including suspected arson)<\/strong>, and <strong>normal weather extremes<\/strong> than by long-term &#8220;climate change.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A simple(ton&#39;s) guide to understanding climate change and wildfires:<br><br>Yes, the Biscarrosse wildfire was started by a van that caught fire. The flames spread to roadside vegetation before moving into the forest. That is a fact.<br><br>What isn&#39;t true is the claim that this means climate\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4I9JEdwbPf\">pic.twitter.com\/4I9JEdwbPf<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Volcaholic \ud83c\udf0b (@volcaholic1) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/volcaholic1\/status\/2080550431021838818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"qme\" dir=\"ltr\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Xhwu5RgVVd\">pic.twitter.com\/Xhwu5RgVVd<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Spirit of RJ (@huh_wha_huh) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/huh_wha_huh\/status\/2081807729962689004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">France \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 <br><br>French police have arrested 162 people in connection with suspected wildfire arson since July 6th. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tx6zxtL3Zf\">pic.twitter.com\/tx6zxtL3Zf<\/a><\/p>&mdash; James Melville \ud83d\ude9c (@JamesMelville) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JamesMelville\/status\/2082130836149653583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fuel Load and the &#8220;Fire Paradox&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This is the strongest point and aligns with expert consensus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Decades of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Successful fire suppression (putting out small fires quickly).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rural depopulation + land abandonment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Policies favoring reforestation, deadwood retention for biodiversity, carbon storage, and limited thinning\/harvesting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8230;have dramatically increased <strong>fuel continuity and loads<\/strong> in Mediterranean landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Experts call this the <strong>&#8220;fire paradox&#8221;<\/strong>: better suppression of routine fires builds denser vegetation and underbrush, priming the landscape for rarer but far more intense, uncontrollable &#8220;next-generation&#8221; or &#8220;sixth-generation&#8221; fires when extreme weather hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain&#8217;s mid-20th-century afforestation added millions of hectares; shifts toward biodiversity and less active timber management left more deadwood\/brush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similar dynamics in France (deadwood preservation), Italy (harvesting limits for erosion), and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent wet springs + dry summers exacerbate this by growing lush vegetation that then cures into prime fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Data nuance:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Burned area in the five key countries has high variability but no explosive secular trend matching CO\u2082 rise. Major historical peaks occurred in the 1980s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent bad years (2017, 2022, 2025) stand out, but management explains a lot of the severity once fires start. Megafires have increased in frequency since ~2020 in southern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Climate factors:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Warming trends<\/strong> can extend fire seasons, increase vapor pressure deficit (<strong>drying power of air<\/strong>), and worsen heatwaves\/droughts in some years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, data for these specific countries does not show a strong, consistent rise in burned area correlating directly with CO\u2082 levels over the full period. Attribution is complex \u2014 weather extremes (which have always occurred) interact with fuel and human factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The longest night of our lives.<br><br>Prayer for Rains in Italy and France and Spain. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WDddHMRZ1H\">pic.twitter.com\/WDddHMRZ1H<\/a><\/p>&mdash; France Safety Travel (@francesafetytra) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/francesafetytra\/status\/2081358150985564451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 26, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WILDFIRES IN EUROPE \ud83d\udd25<br><br>Arson.<br><br>ITALY \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 (Calabria region): Authorities are investigating fires near Pollino National Park found clear evidence of deliberate arson. <br><br>Investigators discovered CATS with rags soaked in flammable liquid tied to their tails; the animals were set\u2026<\/p>&mdash; Lozzy B \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\ud835\udd4f (@TruthFairy131) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TruthFairy131\/status\/2081652064342700302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 Meanwhile in Costa Brava, Spain <br><br>Both Spain &amp; France are on fire like never before right now.  <br><br>44 people wanted for Arson in France, 16 in Spain &#8211; this is coordinated &amp; deliberate. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BO3Ci050v0\">pic.twitter.com\/BO3Ci050v0<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BGatesIsaPyscho\/status\/2081689849786949979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The mainstream media has tried to portray the wildfires that is happening in Europe now as a result of climate change.<br><br>France just announced they have arrested 162 people in connection with starting fires.<\/p>&mdash; PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PeterSweden7\/status\/2081845207662805313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is not \u201cclimate change\u201d \u2b07\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/74utHiEXuC\">pic.twitter.com\/74utHiEXuC<\/a><\/p>&mdash; QwikFire (@OC_motorcop) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OC_motorcop\/status\/2081909787793699111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tPDYGNBKM6\">pic.twitter.com\/tPDYGNBKM6<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BGatesIsaPyscho\/status\/2081691869424062701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Arson and Human Factors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The piece highlights suspected arson, including migrant-linked cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>There are documented arson investigations in 2026 incidents, and human causes overwhelmingly dominate. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>French authorities have arrested suspected arsonists; some regional reports note patterns.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Broader claims tying this systematically to migrants are harder to verify at scale and risk overgeneralization (some past claims in Greece, for example, were unsubstantiated). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Criminal arson, labor disputes, negligence, and infrastructure (power lines) are consistent risks. The article uses this to challenge pure &#8220;climate&#8221; framing \u2014 valid, as ignition + fuel + weather = the formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Deeper Truth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wildfires here result from <strong>compounding drivers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fuel<\/strong> (management\/land use \u2014 primary amplifier of severity).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weathe<\/strong>r (natural variability + long-term drying trends).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ignition<\/strong> (mostly human).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">EU reports increasingly acknowledge prevention deficits \u2014 more focus on suppression than proactive fuel reduction, grazing, thinning, mosaic landscapes, and prescribed burns. Prevention investments yield high returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>EFFIS (European Forest Fire Information System)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"391\" data-attachment-id=\"458654\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=458654\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?fit=940%2C508&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"940,508\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0, 318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?fit=723%2C391&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?resize=723%2C391&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-458654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?w=940&amp;ssl=1 940w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-318a55fd-4328-422d-a29f-c491785827a6_940x508.jpg?resize=640%2C346&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The graph appears accurate and is based on official EFFIS (European Forest Fire Information System) data for the five main EU Mediterranean countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It shows annual burned area (in 1,000 hectares) from ~1980 to 2025, with high year-to-year variability driven by weather, and a red line marking the long-term average of ~443,000 ha. This matches historical summaries from EFFIS and related reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key Observations from the Data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>No clear long-term upward trend in total burned area:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are spikes (e.g., mid-1980s, ~2005, 2017, recent years like 2024\u20132025), but many recent years are below or near the average. Some analyses show stable or slightly declining trends in burned area for several countries over decades when normalized or viewed in full context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>High variability:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fires are heavily influenced by specific hot\/dry years, heat domes, El Ni\u00f1o\/La Ni\u00f1a patterns, and winds \u2014 classic Mediterranean climate behavior with natural extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Recent context:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2024\u20132025 saw significant activity (e.g., Portugal had a high year in 2024), but this fits within historical fluctuations rather than a dramatic new regime. EFFIS reports note 2025 as a high year for the broader EU, but the five-country sum aligns with past bad seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The world is burning less<br><br>Despite breathless climate reporting of ever-more fire<br><br>Total area burned across the world has declined over past 125 years<br><br>Reduced more than 25% over last two decades alone  <br><br>Entirely uncontroversial, mostly because more people (humans don&#39;t want\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yVSYEgTCDI\">pic.twitter.com\/yVSYEgTCDI<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BjornLomborg\/status\/2080611500411032053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Healthy skepticism is not just compatible with science \u2014 it is an essential part of the scientific method.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Questioning claims, demanding strong evidence, examining assumptions, and testing narratives against data is how science advances. Blind acceptance of any consensus, no matter how popular, is where science dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Keep questioning. That&#8217;s the scientific spirit.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent European wildfires (especially in 2026) are driven more by accumulated fuel loads from poor forest management policies, human ignitions (including suspected arson), and normal weather extremes than by long-term &#8220;climate change.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":458628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Recent European wildfires (especially in 2026) are driven more by accumulated fuel loads from poor forest management policies, human ignitions (including suspected arson), and normal weather extremes than by long-term \"climate change.\"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691844314,691821355,691818056,691844315,691844313,691832559,691844312],"class_list":["post-458626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fire-paradox","tag-arson","tag-climate-change","tag-effis-european-forest-fire-information-system","tag-european-wildfires","tag-human-ignitions","tag-poor-forest-management-policies","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1Vjc","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":276041,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=276041","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":0},"title":"Canada Forest Fires Trend Has Gone Down Since 2000, Data Defy Alarmist Claims","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/28\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Arson likely at play\u2026images for shock journalists\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In \"Arson\"","block_context":{"text":"Arson","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arson"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01800x1200_getty_rf_canada_wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01800x1200_getty_rf_canada_wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01800x1200_getty_rf_canada_wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01800x1200_getty_rf_canada_wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/01800x1200_getty_rf_canada_wildfires.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":265619,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=265619","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":1},"title":"Check Your Facts, Yahoo News and New York Times, Neither Canadian Wildfires nor Heatwaves Are Getting Worse","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/05\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Smoke from Canada\u2019s ongoing wildfires continues to darken skies in the United States, and mainstream media outlets like Yahoo News and the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0blame climate change. They are wrong. Data disproves a causal connection between the modest warming the Earth has experienced over the past century to Canada\u2019s wildfires and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Canadian wildfires\"","block_context":{"text":"Canadian wildfires","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=canadian-wildfires"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0OIG-11.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0OIG-11.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0OIG-11.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0OIG-11.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":458431,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=458431","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":2},"title":"Wildfires in France","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/28\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The 2026 fires resulted from a lethal mix: the vast majority started by people (carelessness or arson), but extreme, climate-amplified heat\/drought turned minor sparks into record-breaking blazes. Human ignitions are the direct trigger in ~90% of cases, while meteorological conditions (supercharged by climate trends) explain the scale, intensity, and early\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"2026 fires\"","block_context":{"text":"2026 fires","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=2026-fires"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Image-28.-Juli-2026-11_35_06.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Image-28.-Juli-2026-11_35_06.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Image-28.-Juli-2026-11_35_06.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Image-28.-Juli-2026-11_35_06.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Image-28.-Juli-2026-11_35_06.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":269470,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=269470","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":3},"title":"The Fires in Greece Are More Likely to Have Been Caused by Arsonists Than Global Warming","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/26\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The more likely cause of the fires in Greece is arson. Firefighters in Rhodes\u00a0have indicated\u00a0arson may be to blame, while\u00a0local officials\u00a0in Corfu say the fires in Corfu were started by arsonists.","rel":"","context":"In \"Arson\"","block_context":{"text":"Arson","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arson"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/image-779.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":441762,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=441762","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":4},"title":"Wrong, AP, Wildfires Have Always Burned at Night","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/28\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Associated Press (AP) claims in \u201cWildfires Used To \u2018Go To Sleep\u2019 At Night. Climate Change Has Them Burning Overtime\u201d that human-caused climate change is causing fires to burn later into the night and earlier in the morning. Dozens of media outlets picked up the story. This is false. Wind-driven\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Screenshot-2026-04-28-185900.png?fit=1118%2C926&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Screenshot-2026-04-28-185900.png?fit=1118%2C926&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Screenshot-2026-04-28-185900.png?fit=1118%2C926&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Screenshot-2026-04-28-185900.png?fit=1118%2C926&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Screenshot-2026-04-28-185900.png?fit=1118%2C926&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":457698,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=457698","url_meta":{"origin":458626,"position":5},"title":"Wrong, Wisconsin Examiner and Investigative Post, Canadian Wildfire Smoke Is Not Proof of Climate Change","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/25\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Wisconsin Examiner in \u201cWildfire smoke blankets Wisconsin; advocates stress need to confront climate change\u201d and the Investigative Post in \u201cWhy smoke is getting in your eyes,\u201d both claim the current wildfires in Canadian and the smoke they are sending to the United States are due to climate change. These\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"(IPCC\u00a0\u00a0Sixth Assessment Report\"","block_context":{"text":"(IPCC\u00a0\u00a0Sixth Assessment Report","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=ipcc-sixth-assessment-report-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Wrong-Wisconsin-Examiner-and-Investigative-Post-Canadian-Wildfire-Smoke-Is-Not-Proof-of-Climate-Change.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Wrong-Wisconsin-Examiner-and-Investigative-Post-Canadian-Wildfire-Smoke-Is-Not-Proof-of-Climate-Change.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Wrong-Wisconsin-Examiner-and-Investigative-Post-Canadian-Wildfire-Smoke-Is-Not-Proof-of-Climate-Change.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Wrong-Wisconsin-Examiner-and-Investigative-Post-Canadian-Wildfire-Smoke-Is-Not-Proof-of-Climate-Change.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-Wrong-Wisconsin-Examiner-and-Investigative-Post-Canadian-Wildfire-Smoke-Is-Not-Proof-of-Climate-Change.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-Europes-Wildfires-Its-the-Fuel-Not-the-Climate.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=458626"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":458677,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458626\/revisions\/458677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/458628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=458626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=458626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=458626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}