How Europe can prevent a repeat of this year’s devastating wildfires

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By Ailie McWhinnie, Science. 

Excerpt: Last month, France experienced one of the worst wildfires in its history. Just outside of Bordeaux, towering flames bulldozed through forest and shrubland, the intense heat and smoke forming a fire-fueled thundercloud called a pyrocumulonimbus that had never previously been recorded in the country. France is not alone. ...wildfires across Southern Europe has so far this year burned more than half a million hectares...far exceeding the area burned by August 2025, the worst year on record. ...wildfire experts say a greater emphasis on preventative measures is needed to stop this year’s disaster from becoming a regular occurrence. ...climate change has greatly increased the risk. Since the 1980s, the number of “fire weather” days—scorching, dry, breezy days—has more than doubled across much of the region, according to a paper published last month in Scientific Reports. ...it is vital to modify the land to cut back on the accumulation of fuel. ...One strategy is to thin highly flammable vegetation by reintroducing grazing livestock, cutting back growth, or even using prescribed burning—intentionally burning areas of land under low-risk conditions. ...Making landscapes wetter can also suppress fires. ... 

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