Climate-warming emissions from forest fires in the European Union have soared to record levels this year, as flames have burned more than 1 million hectares of land since January – equivalent to 13 times the area of the New York.

The fires raging across the continent – with the main outbreaks in Spain and Portugal – have so far released 38.37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, more than Sweden's annual CO2 emissions, according to a report. data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

This is more than double the average historical CO2 emissions recorded in the same months over the past 20 years. 

the worst fire season on record, with fires killing at least seven people, forcing thousands more from their homes and destroying homes and crops as the peninsula was ravaged by heatwaves. 

Mark Parrington, lead scientist at the European Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), told Climate Home that the fires ravaging Spain and Portugal this month have caused “extreme emissions.” (Matteo Civillini, more at climatechangenews.com)