How do wildfires affect agriculture and forests?
In 2025, more than 1 million hectares burned across the EU. By 25 August 2026, the figure had already reached 620 000 hectares which is already double the 2006-2025 average for this time of the year, according to European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). In Spain, around 295 000 hectares have burned already, 96 000 in France and 91 000 in Italy. In Belgium, the most recent wildfire burned 3 000 ha – this is more than 13 times the 2006-2025 average for this time of the year.
Climate change, changes in land management and human behaviour are making wildfires more frequent and complex. Rural depopulation, the abandonment of traditional farming practices and insufficient active forest management have also led to biomass accumulating in many areas.
As wildfires become more intense, widespread and unpredictable, risk management is needed at farm, forest and landscape level.
To address this increasingly complex wildfire risk, on 25 March 2026 the European Commission adopted a Communication on Integrated Wildfire Risk Management, promoting an integrated approach to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, with support for active land and forest management. The Communication -among others- highlights the role of farmers and foresters in reducing wildfire risk through sustainable practices and underlines the contribution of the common agricultural policy (CAP).
What role do farmers and forest holders play?
Farmers and forest holders play an important role throughout the wildfire management cycle: prevention, preparedness, response and restoration.
Through active and sustainable land and forest management, they reduce fuel build-up, maintain open and mosaic landscapes and help limit the spread and intensity of fires.
Their presence in rural areas also supports early detection and emergency response through machinery, water tanks and local knowledge.
After a fire, farmers and forest holders are central to restoring damaged agricultural and forest landscapes through replanting, reseeding, reforestation and land recovery.
Key farming practices and investments
Active farming can reduce wildfire risk by limiting combustible biomass and keeping landscapes productive and managed. Agricultural mosaic landscapes (PDF) are particularly important, as they break up continuous vegetation and can help slow the spread of fire.
Grazing, especially extensive grazing (PDF), helps control grasses and shrubs that can fuel fires and can reduce fire intensity and spread.
Agroforestry and sylvopastoralism, which combine trees, crops and/or livestock, helps to reduce dry vegetation and prevent land abandonment, particularly in the Mediterranean regions.
Permanent crops, such as vineyards and olive groves, can act as firebreaks when well managed.
Prescribed burning can reduce excess vegetation in shrub areas when carried out under strict conditions and with the support of competent authorities and fire professionals.
Key forest practices and investments
Active, adaptive and sustainable forest management is essential for wildfire prevention and resilience. Integrating fire prevention into forest management plans or equivalent instruments can help link prevention, preparedness and recovery.
Thinning, pruning and ground vegetation management reduces excess biomass and makes it harder for fire to spread; the removal of dead wood should be done in an ecologically sensitive manner that reduces fire risk.
Prescribed burning, where appropriate, removes excess dead vegetation and undergrowth.
Forest firebreaks, strategically placed and well maintained, slow or stop the spread of fire.
Forest infrastructure and equipment, such as roads, water points, tanks and reservoirs, lookout tower and monitoring equipment, improve preparedness and response.
Species and forest structure diversification -where possible- using mixed stands and less fire-prone species improves resilience. Where diversification is not feasible, for example in commercial single-species plantations, active and sustainable management is particularly important.
Forest restoration after fire, including necessary post fire interventions, such as clearing material that can spread pests, controlling soil erosion, supporting natural regeneration and replanting-where needed- with species adapted to local climatic and ecological conditions. They also support the objectives of the Nature Restoration Law.
Across the EU, crop losses caused by droughts and heatwaves have tripled over the past 50 years, highlighting the growing threat that extreme heat poses to agricultural productivity and food security.
How does the CAP support wildfire management?
The CAP is a key source of EU funding for land-based wildfire prevention. It supports farmers and forest holders to keep land actively managed and more resilient to fire, including through extensive grazing, agroforestry, permanent crops, mosaic landscapes, forest restoration, forest works on vegetation, firebreaks and forest infrastructure such as roads.
Around EUR 1 billion in CAP funding is dedicated directly to forest prevention and restoration following natural disasters, including fires, while around EUR 4.2 billion is allocated to CAP forestry interventions based on sustainable forest management.
The CAP also contributes indirectly through income support and environmental and climate payments that help keep farming viable in fire-prone regions, reduce land abandonment and support climate adaptation.
The CAP 2023–27 provides a range of tools to support wildfire prevention and restoration, including:
preventive investments in agriculture and forestry to reduce the impact of natural disasters;
Examples include nature based forest based barriers in Germany, the dual-use of forest firebreak strips in southern Tuscany, and a forest-fire safety monitoring network in Latvia.
investments to restore agricultural and forestry production potential after natural disasters;
An example is Reforestation of a burned forest in France
- payments for environmental, climate-related commitments supporting practices such as grazing, agroforestry, biomass control and improvements to forest structure;
- risk management tools and crisis payments, including support for insurance and compensation following major losses;
Other tools include productive investments supporting renewable energy and the bioeconomy; non-productive investments, payments for natural or other area-specific constraints; cooperation and European Innovation Partnership Operational Groups; training and advisory services; eco-schemes; and coupled income support.
Examples of EIP-AGRI Operational Group in Spain include the use of extensive sheep and goat livestock farming for fire control and prevention, and the development of a standardized and adaptable tool for the design of productive firebreaks.
Under the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Union’s long-term spending plan, the CAP proposal maintains the current options for funding wildfire prevention and restoration and strengthens support for extensive grazing, including traditional practices such as transhumance. It also supports the transition towards more sustainable and fire-resilient agroecological models, particularly in fire-prone and mountain areas.
Stories from the ground
Tuscany-based Tenuta Paganico farm shows wildfire prevention is achievable by combining silvopastoralism and active forest management.
Fire was once used to manage scrubland and develop pastures trough grazing in Castilla y León. Today, pastoralism can replace that practice and prevent wildfires across 250,000 hectares.
As new threats put agricultural under growing pressure, discover how winegrowers have become strong allies in wildfire prevention and strengthening rural resilience.
Forests are an economic and ecological wealth that are directly impacted by many threats: global warming, parasites, diseases, storms and of course, fires. It is impossible to ignore the devastating fires that ravage the forests of southern Europe every summer.
Useful links
- Communication on Integrated Wildfire Risk Management, setting out an integrated approach across prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, including support for active land and forest management.
- Bioeconomy strategy, supporting the sustainable use of biomass, including fire-prone regions, through the development of bio-based value chains.
- Livestock strategy, recognising the important role of grazing in managing grassland biomass and reducing fire risk.
- Wildfires | Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
- Forest fires | Directorate-General for Environment
- Current wildfire situation in Europe | EFFIS
- HORIZON Firelogue and FIRES
- Land-based wildfire prevention | UCP Knowledge Network
- Changing Wildfires - Policy Options for a Fire-literate and Fire-adapted Europe Document from INTEROVIC – Spain
- Special report 16/2025: EU funding to tackle forest fires (PDF)
Related links
How the EU is tackling the rising wildfire threat, from prevention to active resource deployment