From Spain's national emergency to mass evacuations in France and scorched hectares in Italy, wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense across Europe as the climate shifts. But the danger does not end when the flames are extinguished. Smoke carries black carbon—tiny particles of partly burnt material—that can drift hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from the source.
"The pollution can blow quite long distances," warns Jane Burston, CEO of the Clean Air Fund. Some particles are small enough to pass through the lungs into the bloodstream, triggering asthma in the short term and, over years, lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and even dementia.
Burston points to Canada's record 2023 wildfire season as a stark example: an estimated 82,000 people died from the resulting toxins and pollution across Canada, the US, and Europe, long after the fires themselves had stopped burning. Recent research backs her concerns. A study in The Lancet Planetary Health, covering 32 European countries, found that mortality linked to wildfire smoke may be underestimated by 93%, because fire-related fine particles appear more harmful than pollution from other sources. Separately, US researchers reported that global wildfire emissions of health-harming gases may run around 21% higher than earlier estimates suggested.
Climate change fuels a vicious circle
Burston describes air pollution, climate change, and wildfires as a self-reinforcing loop: pollutants released alongside greenhouse gases when humans burn fossil fuels raise temperatures, fuelling more wildfires, which in turn produce more pollution. "We really need to tackle other causes of air pollution as well as the wildfires," she says, adding that cutting pollution also saves money for health systems and boosts productivity.
Drought combined with heatwaves, both intensified by climate change, is creating the conditions for fires to spread rapidly. "We're going to expect a longer and more intense wildfire season every year," Burston tells Euronews Earth. This pattern is already visible across southern Europe, from Spain's recent evacuations near Madrid to the Gironde region in France, where thousands fled advancing flames.
The health impacts are often invisible. While large fires make headlines, the smoke they generate can linger for weeks, crossing borders and affecting communities far from the blaze. In 2023, smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted across the Atlantic, reaching parts of Europe and contributing to poor air quality in cities like Paris and Berlin.
What can be done?
Burston calls for stronger early warning systems, noting that some regions in Latin America already use air quality monitors to detect fires before they are spotted visually. For individuals, she recommends checking local air quality indexes, staying indoors when pollution levels are high, and using air purifiers with HEPA filters. Wearing N95 or FFP2 masks outdoors can also reduce exposure to fine particles.
On a policy level, reducing fossil fuel emissions is critical to breaking the cycle. The European Union's Green Deal and national climate plans offer a framework, but implementation remains uneven. As wildfires become a recurring summer reality from Portugal to Greece, the need for coordinated action across the continent grows more urgent.
"We really need to tackle other causes of air pollution as well as the wildfires," Burston reiterates. Cutting pollution not only saves lives but also reduces healthcare costs and boosts economic productivity. For Europe, where air quality standards are already among the strictest globally, the challenge is to enforce them consistently and invest in monitoring infrastructure.
