This summer, Portugal experienced the worst wildfire season since 2017. In this article, we look at the history of wildfires in the country, what happened in the 2025 season, the causes and driving factors of wildfires as well as the measures Portugal is and should be implementing to prevent this recurring.
Back in the 2000s, it was common for Portugal to report over 20,000 fires every year, but this number has been steadily declining, with only 6,425 ignitions in 2024, representing a 76% reduction. However, the actual area burned by wildfires has not followed the same downward trend, with peaks of over 250,000 burnt hectares being reached in 2003, 2005, 2017, and now in 2025.
Figure 1 – Number of detected ignitions in Portugal between 2001 and July 2025. Data from wildfire reports issued by the National Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Figure 2 – Area burnt (in hectares) by wildfires in Portugal between 2001 and August 2025. Data from wildfire reports issued by the National Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Portugal wildfires in 2025
As of August 31, 2025, the area burned by wildfires in Portugal had already surpassed the 250,000-hectare mark. Many people have lost their homes, their farms, and their businesses, with the government being urged to approve a 5 million euros budget (per ministry) to support those impacted. This would offer financial support for the rebuilding of family homes as well as aid to farmers who have lost crops, animals, equipment, and infrastructure.
While 2025 has seen the highest number of hectares burned since 2017, the number of wildfires was actually the fifth lowest in the last decade. So, if the country experienced fewer ignitions and wildfires, why have these burned a wider area?
The problem appears to be the larger wildfires. While small wildfires – those burning one hectare or less – were the most frequent (85% of the total), 83 large wildfires – those burning 100 hectares or more – were responsible for 96% of the total area burned in 2025. For example, the Arganil wildfire in Coimbra affected an area of 65,417 hectares, making it the largest wildfire on record in Portugal. It lasted for 12 days and involved 47 firefighters.
Weather severity is a crucial factor
The Daily Severity Rating, or DSR, is a wildfire indicator that considers the severity of the weather at a local level. High DSR levels typically suggest high temperatures, strong winds, no precipitation, and relatively low humidity; in other words, the perfect cocktail for wildfires to ignite and spread.
During the summer, wildfires can ignite across a wide range of DSR values, but a recent study that focused on the Portuguese context showed that very large wildfires only occur when DSR values are high. This is relevant because, historically, while only about 1% of Portuguese wildfires burned 100 hectares or more, these large wildfires accounted for 75% the total area burnt.
Dominant land uses make the territory more vulnerable
According to the National Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, most of Portugal’s mainland is covered by forest (36%), shrubland (31%), and agricultural land (24%). Eucalyptus and pine trees, especially in monocultures, dominate the forest cover in the country, representing 48% of its total area.
This landscape plays a fundamental role in the country’s wildfires. Eucalyptus trees are known to be a fire hazard as their leaves contain essential oils that make them extremely flammable. The bark of these trees also constantly sheds, often leaving loose strips hanging, which easily ignite. Shrubland and pine plantations are also more prone to wildfires than annual crops, mixed forests, and evergreen oak woodlands. This means a high percentage of the territory is already more vulnerable to wildfires due to its land uses.
Rural land ownership poses a challenge
The government only directly manages or co-manages 9% of rural territory since the majority of rural land in Portugal – 91% – belongs to individual owners, with about 400,000 people having ownership of over 11 million properties. This makes managing rural landscapes extremely challenging.
Climate change will make things worse
The wildfire situation is expected to worsen in the future. On one hand, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme, fire-prone weather conditions in the Mediterranean. On the other hand, historical data shows the trend is for large wildfires to occur with less extreme weather conditions.
Wildfires and arson
The Portuguese authorities have identified the cause of 68% of the wildfires that have occurred in 2025. The most common causes were arson (31%) and the burning of forest or agricultural residues (25%). The high proportion of wildfires caused by arson led the CHEGA political party to propose new legislation to parliament in September 2025. Among other measures, this legislation recommends:
- Increasing the maximum jail time for arsonists to 25 years
- Only agreeing to parole if electronic surveillance is enforced during the summer months
Forest Intervention Plan 2025-2050
Back in March 2025, the government published a new intervention plan that aimed to promote sustainable forest management, among other goals. However, in August 2025, a national non-profit organization, Zero, issued a statement claiming that about 47% of the short-term actions within the intervention plan appeared to have been delayed.
Final thoughts
Wildfires lead to the loss of human lives, millions of euros in damage, and incredible harm to the ecosystem. Wildfire prevention must therefore be a top priority for Portugal and other Mediterranean countries as they will become even more prone to these destructive events in the future due to climate change.
In our podcast, DevelopmentAid Dialogues, Robin Degron, Director of Plan Bleu (UN Environment), offered advice to the Mediterranean countries dealing with these massive wildfires. According to Robin, they must manage forests proactively by:
- Preventing fuel from accumulating during the cooler months
- Choosing to plant tree species that are more resistant to drought and fire
- Creating ‘firewalls’ by clearing up to 200 meters of land between forests and towns.
DevelopmentAid always keeps you in the loop. In July, we published an article on “Burning Europe: wildfires and heat-related deaths signal worsening climate crisis”, and, in August, we released “Canada’s air quality crisis deepens amid raging wildfires”.
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