(1168273.html)   (https://news.un.org/en/node/1168273)  (https://global.unitednations.entermediadb.net/assets/mediadb/services/module/asset/downloads/preset/Collections/Embargoed/2026/07/31-07-2026_Adobe_France-01.jpg/image770x420cropped.jpg)                                        (android-app://https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.un.mobile.news&hl=en)      (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un_base_theme/favicon.ico)  (1168273.html)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto/files/roboto-latin-400-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto/files/roboto-latin-400-italic.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto/files/roboto-latin-500-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto/files/roboto-latin-700-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto-condensed/files/roboto-condensed-latin-700-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/oswald/files/oswald-latin-700-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/libraries/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-solid-900.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/libraries/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un_base_theme/node_modules/@fontsource/merriweather/files/merriweather-latin-700-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/themes/custom/un3/un3_base/node_modules/@fontsource/roboto/files/roboto-cyrillic-400-normal.woff2)  (https://news.un.org/en/libraries/fontawesome/webfonts/fa-regular-400.woff2)  As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt | UN News (https://news.un.org/en/sites/default/files/css/css_cimWTYM5zfbJP171yTcnW_OfV8cUESh1QpIK8TeXyZA.css?delta=0&language=en&theme=un_base_theme&include=eJxlUIuuwyAI_SGrn2Sw0pY7FCO6rn9_bbNlW5YYPQ8DBwLMN99knOLCG3uaJZsg0rRVKD5ArSRukZp-1YSqsKJ6pnVrH762g1Fd4b5Stmf5tUrP0c_CUm3oxNHMUtHF2guwhT94fAnUME1M2gw-GlO-vYwnNYvkBjuqJHQf2O4YTqomYSRwC3HDamcojcZgiTIlYK8bjF5PNl3MFKiwjvSbvnq9Fdtz6WHk2TAalZlGjauBP8Oo-5Vs2zCh0UPHJGPDiqZnf77-chxDXvvY3hRxgc7ttJnu6LPs7gVOMeOuHnok8YXhwOo-iWUK5k7jj7tumyR2xn9I1ryn)  (https://news.un.org/en/sites/default/files/css/css_SFO27gZNt1kjU5O_MS_YcjjQApMQfDeec_K9E3oA3SE.css?delta=1&language=en&theme=un_base_theme&include=eJxlUIuuwyAI_SGrn2Sw0pY7FCO6rn9_bbNlW5YYPQ8DBwLMN99knOLCG3uaJZsg0rRVKD5ArSRukZp-1YSqsKJ6pnVrH762g1Fd4b5Stmf5tUrP0c_CUm3oxNHMUtHF2guwhT94fAnUME1M2gw-GlO-vYwnNYvkBjuqJHQf2O4YTqomYSRwC3HDamcojcZgiTIlYK8bjF5PNl3MFKiwjvSbvnq9Fdtz6WHk2TAalZlGjauBP8Oo-5Vs2zCh0UPHJGPDiqZnf77-chxDXvvY3hRxgc7ttJnu6LPs7gVOMeOuHnok8YXhwOo-iWUK5k7jj7tumyR2xn9I1ryn)   (1168273.html#main-content) Skip to main content / navigation      (https://www.un.org/en) (United Nations)  Welcome to the United Nations  Language  (https://news.un.org/ar/) العربية  (https://news.un.org/zh/) 中文  (https://news.un.org/en/) English  (https://news.un.org/fr/) Français  (https://news.un.org/ru/) Русский  (https://news.un.org/es/) Español  (https://news.un.org/pt/) Português  (https://news.un.org/sw/) Kiswahili  Other (https://news.un.org/hi/) Hindi हिंदी  (https://news.un.org/ur/) Urdu اردو  (https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZjQ4ODc1MDAtODIyYS00YTM2LWEwYWEtYjIwOGU2OGY3NTQ2IiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9&pageName=ReportSectionc9ce2e382b54b076179e) Global          (https://news.un.org/en/) (United Nations) (United Nations)   (https://news.un.org/en/) (UN News) UN News   Global perspective Human stories     English Search         (form-7zh7ElCkQYul9ZSkdXRtEfVAkYcKWfMGGvgW3ITLdos)  (un_news_search_block_form)  () (Search)   (Search) Search  (https://news.un.org/en/advanced-search) Advanced Search    Language  (https://news.un.org/ar/) العربية  (https://news.un.org/zh/) 中文  (https://news.un.org/en/) English  (https://news.un.org/fr/) Français  (https://news.un.org/ru/) Русский  (https://news.un.org/es/) Español  (https://news.un.org/pt/) Português  (https://news.un.org/sw/) Kiswahili  Other (https://news.un.org/hi/) Hindi हिंदी  (https://news.un.org/ur/) Urdu اردو  (https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZjQ4ODc1MDAtODIyYS00YTM2LWEwYWEtYjIwOGU2OGY3NTQ2IiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9&pageName=ReportSectionc9ce2e382b54b076179e) Global         (https://news.un.org/en/) (UN News) UN News   Global perspective Human stories        (1168273.html#CollapsingNavbar) Menu  (https://news.un.org/en/) (Home) Home (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/global) Global  (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/africa) (Africa) Africa  (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/americas) (Americas) Americas  (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/asia-pacific) (Asia Pacific) Asia Pacific  (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/middle-east) (Middle East) Middle East  (https://news.un.org/en/news/region/europe) (Europe) Europe  (https://news.un.org/en/spotlight/un-art-and-gifts) (UN Art and Gifts) UN Art and Gifts  (https://news.un.org/en/spotlight/character-sketches-brian-urquhart) (History Corner) History Corner    (1168273.html) (Topics) Topics (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/peace-and-security) (Peace and Security) Peace and Security  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/economic-development) (Economic Development) Economic Development  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/humanitarian-aid) (Humanitarian Aid) Humanitarian Aid  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/climate-change) (Climate and Environment) Climate and Environment  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/human-rights) (Human Rights) Human Rights  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/un-affairs) (UN Affairs) UN Affairs  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/women) (Women) Women  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/law-and-crime-prevention) (Law and Crime Prevention) Law and Crime Prevention  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/health) (Health) Health  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/culture-and-education) (Culture and Education) Culture and Education  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/sdgs) (SDGs) SDGs  (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/migrants-and-refugees) (Migrants and Refugees) Migrants and Refugees    (1168273.html) (In depth) In depth (https://news.un.org/en/focus) In Focus  (https://news.un.org/en/interviews) (Interviews) Interviews  (https://news.un.org/en/features) (Features) Features  (https://news.un.org/en/gallery) (Photo Stories) Photo Stories  (https://news.un.org/en/audio-product/un-news-today) (News in Brief) UN News Today  (https://news.un.org/en/audio-product/podcast-the-lid-is-on) (The Lid is On) The Lid is On  (https://news.un.org/en/audio-product/focus-gender) (UN Gender Focus) UN Gender Focus  (https://news.un.org/en/audio-product/un-and-africa) (UN and Africa) UN and Africa  (https://news.un.org/en/un-podcasts) (UN Podcasts) UN Podcasts    (https://www.un.org/sg/en) (Secretary-General) Secretary-General (https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson) (Spokesperson) Spokesperson  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/latest/sg/statement) (All Statements) All Statements  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/secretary-generals-speeches) (Selected Speeches) Selected Speeches  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounters) (Press Encounters) Press Encounters  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/travels) (Official Travels) Official Travels    (1168273.html) (Media) Media (https://www.un.org/video) (UN Video) UN Video  (https://dam.media.un.org) (UN Photo) UN Photo  (https://www.un.org/press/en) (Meeting Coverage) Meeting Coverage  (https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/index.shtml) (Media Accreditation) Media Accreditation  (https://webtv.un.org/en) (Webtv) UN Web TV       (1168273.html#block-un-base-theme-language-primary-content) Language  (https://news.un.org/ar/) العربية  (https://news.un.org/zh/) 中文  (https://news.un.org/en/) English  (https://news.un.org/fr/) Français  (https://news.un.org/ru/) Русский  (https://news.un.org/es/) Español  (https://news.un.org/pt/) Português  (https://news.un.org/sw/) Kiswahili  Other (https://news.un.org/hi/) Hindi हिंदी  (https://news.un.org/ur/) Urdu اردو  (https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZjQ4ODc1MDAtODIyYS00YTM2LWEwYWEtYjIwOGU2OGY3NTQ2IiwidCI6IjBmOWUzNWRiLTU0NGYtNGY2MC1iZGNjLTVlYTQxNmU2ZGM3MCIsImMiOjh9&pageName=ReportSectionc9ce2e382b54b076179e) Global       (1168273.html#block-un-news-search-block-primary-content) Search  (form-o1DmUOoOashO-rLtH2pIORn3qSeSbG1RBEPqYaGCENE)  (un_news_search_block_form)  () (Search)   (Search) Search  (https://news.un.org/en/advanced-search) Advanced Search           Audio and Subscription  (https://news.un.org/en/audio-hub) (Audio Hub) Audio Hub    (https://news.un.org/en/content/un-newsletter-subscribe) (Subscribe) Subscribe                   (A firefighting plane drops a massive water load over a raging wildfire near Ille-sur-Tet, France.)     As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt     © Adobe Stock/Arafat A firefighting plane drops water on a wildfire in France            (https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Facebook) Facebook (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt&url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Twitter) Twitter (1168273.html) (Share this via Print) Print (mailto:?subject=As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt&body=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Email) Email    As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt    5 September 2026   (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/climate-change) Climate and Environment   As the climate warms, the threat of wildfires is spreading in Europe. How can historically cooler and wetter countries prepare?               Human activity causes most of the wildfires breaking out across Europe, but their spread, speed and intensity are strongly affected by the warmer, drier conditions associated with climate change as well as with changing land use. More than 600,000 hectares of land have burned within European Union countries in the first eight months of 2026, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. That’s below the area recorded by the same date in 2025 (the worst year on record), but it far exceeds the 20-year average of around 280,000 hectares, and preparing for wildfires is key, UN agencies say. Risks are growing  While most fires have occured in historically fire-prone countries such as France and Spain, extremely dry conditions are putting many areas in Western and Central Europe, including the UK and southern Scandinavia, at increased risk. In the immediate future, wildfire risks may be compounded by the developing El Niño, a recurrent natural climate phenomenon, which can further influence temperatures and rainfall patterns and increase the likelihood of climate extremes. Many countries with a history of wildfires are now experiencing more frequent and larger blazes, over longer periods. At the same time, other countries in traditionally cooler or wetter areas are also preparing for the prospect of dealing with more wildfires. Scotland’s burning forests  A wildfire took hold in the Cairngorms mountains of Scotland in mid-July. The area has experienced wildfires before, but due to this year’s exceptionally dry conditions, the fire penetrated the dry peat layer, causing hotspots and flare-ups that resisted containment. More than 500 firefighters fought the blazes, with aerial support to put out fires – while bulldozers were called in to dig firebreaks. High winds pushed the unpredictable blaze towards the village of Nethy Bridge. Evacuation orders  Nine days on from the outbreak, Police Scotland declared a major incident and many of Nethy Bridge’s 600 residents were evacuated, including James MacEwan, who described a worrying stretch of days without any rainfall amid the growing blaze. “We were very fortunate that the wind remained from the west and took the fire towards the hills, otherwise we would have had a serious threat to property and possibly life,” he said. “The downside was that this took the fire into relatively inaccessible terrain and made containing it extremely difficult.” It was over a month from the time that the fire started until the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service officially stood down firefighting crews. (Three firefighters in red gear walk across a blackened, scorched moorland under a grey, overcast sky.)    © Climate Visuals/Alastair Firefighters in the scorched moorlands of the United Kingdom work to contain a wildfire. (file)   Preparing for the future  The risk is now extending far beyond the Mediterranean, said Will Hayes, a researcher with the UK’s Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society. Growing wildfire concerns have already emerged in the Atlantic uplands of Ireland and Scotland as well as other parts of Northern and Central Europe, he said. “These areas are not becoming Mediterranean landscapes, but traditionally wetter, cooler regions are now experiencing more frequent windows where increasing amounts of vegetation is dry enough to burn and fires can spread,” Mr. Hayes warned. “People should not assume that wet or green landscapes are immune to fire. During dry, warm and windy periods, vegetation can become highly flammable, even in upland and northern regions.” He suggested avoiding campfires, barbecues and careless ignition sources – such as cigarette lighters – during high-risk weather, and following local fire warnings. Assessing risks  Preparedness for wildfires is also important at the national level, Mr. Hayes said. “Wildfire prevention is not just about fire services, it is about how landscapes are managed before they burn,” he explained. “Wildfire risk should be treated as a land-use, climate-adaptation and public-health issue, not just an emergency-response problem.” The World Health Organization ((http://www.who.int/en/) WHO ) (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036086) Strategic Toolkit for Assessing Risks (STAR) methodology enables public health authorities to work alongside other sectors to rapidly conduct a strategic and evidence-based assessment of public health risks that includes the risk of heat and wildfires. Smarter readiness  Countries such as Cyprus and Ireland have recently completed their first-ever assessment workshops, which used the STAR methodology to identify and prioritise pressing health hazards, from heatwaves to wildfires. The workshops lay the groundwork for smarter, more strategic emergency preparedness and readiness investments. WHO has run 38 national strategic risk assessment workshops in Europe since 2018, and its STAR is recognised as one of the core elements of (https://www.who.int/health-topics/international-health-regulations#tab=tab_1) international health regulations (IHR) and the (https://www.undrr.org/implementing-sendai-framework/what-sendai-framework) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction . Growing public health threat   Tanja Schmidt, WHO Europe’s programme manager on preparedness in the health security division, said extreme heat and wildfires are no longer only environmental emergencies. “They are growing public health threats that directly affect people’s health as well as health systems,” she said. “Across the region, countries are increasingly using all-hazards national risk assessments to understand climate-driven risks, identify cascading impacts and prioritise preparedness actions. Ultimately, this helps protect communities, prioritising those most vulnerable and ensuring that health systems are ready to respond.” Learn more about WHO’s risk assessment tool kit  (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036086) here  .                      ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - (https://news.un.org/en/content/un-newsletter-subscribe?utm_source=UN News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=un_news_newsletter) Subscribe here  to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/un-news-reader/id496893005?mt=8) iOS  or (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.un.mobile.news&hl=en) Android  devices.     (https://news.un.org/en/tags/climate-action) Climate Action              Related Stories  (https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158861)   (A beach scene in Santa Monica, California, with people in the water and on the sand, and a city skyline with high-rise buildings in the background.)      (https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158861) UN chief offers condolences amid devastating wildfires in California    (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168013)   (Silhouettes of a family stand against a backdrop of a massive wildfire burning at night.)      (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168013) Wildfires surge across Europe as Spain and France battle major blazes    (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168060)   (A firefighter walks through a smoke-filled area with burnt trees following a wildfire in Ille-sur-Tet, France.)      (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168060) Wildfire smoke poses hidden health threat              News Tracker: Past Stories on This Issue  (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168265)   (An elderly shirtless man crouches on a vast field of deeply cracked, dry earth.)      (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168265) El Niño is surging. Months of extreme heat could follow   3 September 2026   (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/climate-change) Climate and Environment   Fuelled by exceptionally warm Pacific waters, (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/08/1168079) the El Niño climate pattern is intensifying and has yet to peak. Forecasters are almost certain it will persist through February 2027 – with unusually warm conditions expected across much of the world in the coming months.    (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168240)   (A woman wearing a straw hat and carrying a shoulder bag stands holding a long pole on a vast field of cracked, dried-up earth, with an old fishing boat resting on the parched ground behind her under a grey, overcast sky.)      (https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168240) ‘Fight for humanity’: Avoiding a climate catastrophe means acting now   2 September 2026   (https://news.un.org/en/news/topic/climate-change) Climate and Environment   Record heat waves, deadly flooding and extreme weather reflect an ever-warming planet poised to soon breach safe temperature limits, according to a UN report released on Tuesday, but doubling down on climate action now could avoid a climate catastrophe.             Resources   Button collapse    (https://news.un.org/en/content/navigate-news) (Navigate the News) Navigate the News  (https://news.un.org/en/content/un-system-links) (Information for Broadcasters) Information for Broadcasters  (https://news.un.org/en/content/un-system-links) (UN System Links) UN System Links  (https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/alert.shtml) (Media Alert) Media Alert  (https://journal.un.org/) (UN Journal) UN Journal  (https://www.un.org/press/en/content/meetings-coverage/) (Meetings Coverage) Meetings Coverage  (https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/) (Audiovisual Library) Audiovisual Library       Secretary-General   Button collapse    (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/secretary-generals-speeches) (All Statements) All Statements  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/travels) (Official Travels) Official Travels  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounters) (Press Encounters) Press Encounters  (https://twitter.com/antonioguterres?lang=en) (SG Twitter) SG Twitter         Spokesperson's Office   Button collapse    (https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson) (Latest Statements) Latest Statements  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight) (Briefing Highlights) Briefing Highlights  (https://press.un.org/en/content/noon-briefings) (Briefing Transcripts) Briefing Transcripts  (https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/notes-correspondents) (Notes to Correspondents) Notes to Correspondents       Find Us   Button collapse    (https://news.un.org/en/content/un-news-go) (UN News App) UN News App  (https://www.facebook.com/UN.News.Centre) (Facebook) Facebook  (https://twitter.com/UN_News_Centre) (Twitter) Twitter  (https://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations) (YouTube) YouTube            Footer menu  (https://www.un.org/en/site-index) (A-Z Site Index) A-Z Site Index  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/copyright) (Copyright) Copyright  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/frequently-asked-questions) (FAQ) FAQ  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/fraud-alert) (Fraud Alert) Fraud Alert  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/privacy-notice) (Privacy Notice) Privacy Notice  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/terms-of-use) (Terms of Use) Terms of Use      Social Media Links  (https://www.facebook.com/UN.News.Centre/) (Facebook)    (https://twitter.com/un_news_centre) (Twitter)    (https://www.youtube.com/user/unitednations/) (YouTube)    (https://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/) (Flickr)    (https://www.instagram.com/unitednations/) (Instagram)    (https://soundcloud.com/unradio) (Soundcloud)    (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-news/id304114245?mt=2&app=podcast) (Podcast)    (https://www.un.org/en/get-involved/social-media) (UN Social Media)         Footer buttons  (https://www.un.org/en/about-us/how-to-donate-to-the-un-system) Donate             (https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Facebook) Facebook (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt&url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Twitter) Twitter (1168273.html) (Share this via Print) Print (mailto:?subject=As wildfires spread north, UN agencies race to help Europe adapt&body=https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168273) (Share this via Email) Email