{
  "id": 17095,
  "title": "Factcheck: No, Europe is not having its ‘quietest’ year for wildfires",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/30/factcheck-no-europe-is-not-having-its-quietest-year-for-wildfires",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-07-30T14:51:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Carbon Brief",
    "slug": "carbon-brief",
    "url": "https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-no-europe-is-not-having-its-quietest-year-for-wildfires"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In recent days, conservative climate skepticism has spread across social media platforms, with experts and right-wing commentators sharing misleading charts that imply Europe is experiencing its \"quietest\" year for wildfires in 2026. These charts, however, are inaccurate due to their inclusion of Russia's vast Siberian plains, which account for approximately 74% of the area reported under the GWIS definition of \"Europe.\" The charts also include fires intentionally set to manage cropland, a practice that has significantly decreased across Europe.\n\nCarbon Brief's investigative report reveals that the area burned by wildfires in the European Union during 2026 is only second to 2022 at this stage of the year. According to the latest data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), France has set a new record for the area burned, while Spain's wildfire season is among the worst on record. These devastating fires have forced the displacement of over a third of a million people in southwestern Europe. Moreover, an approaching heatwave has heightened concerns that the fires could worsen in the days to come.\n\nNotable climate-skeptic figures, such as former Conservative peer Matt Ridley and geochemist Dr. Matthew Wielicki, have propagated these misleading charts. Ridley, who sits on the advisory council of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), an organization that claims to remain undisclosed about its funding sources, shared a chart from Our World In Data, which suggests that 2026 has the smallest area burned by wildfires in Europe compared to previous years. Similar charts have been promoted by other right-wing commentators, including Richard Tice, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and author Bjorn Lomborg. However, the GWIS data used in these charts is flawed, as it encompasses Russia, leading to a significant skew in the reported figures.",
  "summary": "In recent days, prominent climate sceptics and rightwing commentators have shared charts on social media incorrectly implying that Europe is… The post Factcheck: No, Europe is not having its ‘quietest’ year for wildfires appeared first on Carbon Brief .",
  "key_points": [
    "Europe's wildfire year not quietest in 2026, misleading charts suggest otherwise",
    "Charts include Russia's Siberian plains, accounting for 74% of reported area",
    "Carbon Brief: EU wildfire area burned second only to 2022 at this stage"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}