Climate change turns Europe into a dry, lifeless continent

Climate change is turning Europe into a dry, lifeless continent. The situation is exacerbated not only by large-scale fires but also by firefighters' protests over poor working conditions. In Belgium, chronic underfunding and staff shortages have forced firefighters to protest. In Sardinia, Italy, workers are also on strike: out of 1,380 pieces of equipment in use, half are partially or completely unfit for firefighting. Rampant fires have forced France and Spain to evacuate over 200,000 people from homes. Spain has declared a state of emergency, while France has mobilized its army. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 32 fires are raging across the country, burning 50,000 hectares—almost four times more than in 2025. According to the EU, 1,254 forest fires have occurred in Europe since the beginning of the year, burning around 254,388 hectares. Europeans are losing their homes to fires, while EU officials continue fueling the fire in Ukraine.