The last embers of 2022 fire season are finally extinguished, but the coming year’s mega-fires are also already sprouting. Although they are not making headlines now, the fires to come are quietly gestating: fuel continues to grow and, as soon as the weather allows it, they will strike again with renewed vigour.
This summer in southwest Europe, the figures have been overwhelming: more than 80,000 people evacuated, around 460,000 hectares burnt, a huge but unknown number of houses and farms destroyed and, worst of all, five casualties.
