Experts examine the changing nature of wildfires and how to tackle them at the UIK Summer Course

14 / 10 / 2026

The summer of 2025 set an unprecedented record in Europe: wildfires ravaged more than one million hectares across the European Union, the largest area burned since records began, with Spain and Portugal accounting for almost half of that total. Far from being an isolated event, 2026 has confirmed this trend. According to provisional data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), by the end of July, the area burned in Spain was already five times higher than during the same period the previous year, while the total area affected over the summer once again far exceeded the average for the past two decades. Heatwaves and prolonged droughts, which are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change, are leading to faster, more intense and harder-to-control wildfires.

No territory can consider itself safe from this threat, including our own. With this in mind, this year's edition of the UIK Summer Course, organised by USSE in collaboration with Basoa Fundazioa in Donostia-San Sebastián on 15 September, brought together specialists from different fields to analyse the changing behaviour of wildfires, with a particular focus on prevention and firefighting.

Heatwaves and prolonged droughts, which are becoming increasingly frequent as a result of climate change, are leading to faster, more intense and harder-to-control wildfires.

The course, introduced by USSE General Manager Leire Salaberria and Aitor Onaindia, Technical Director of Basoa Fundazioa, featured four presentations followed by a round-table discussion.

Virginia Carracedo, geologist and PhD holder at the University of Cantabria, highlighted the importance of recognising that "given the changing landscapes and climate conditions that are creating increasingly diverse scenarios, major wildfires can also occur in the Basque Country. No territory is immune to disaster, which is why dialogue must be maintained throughout the year, not just when wildfires break out".

Fernando Azurmendi, forestry specialist at the Association of Forest Owners of Bizkaia and the Confederation of Forest Owners of the Basque Country, addressed the topic of Preventive Management and Planning in Rural Areas. In his view, the situation surrounding wildfires is changing: "They have traditionally been treated as a forestry emergency, but following the recent events across Spain, it has become clear that they also have a civil protection dimension, requiring us to consider people's lives and the various activities that take place in rural areas".

According to Aitor Omar, Head of the Forestry Department at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, "the threat posed by wildfires is significant, even though our overall risk is relatively low. Nevertheless, we must be trained and prepared to deal with any wildfire. There will be years when weather conditions are more challenging. Record-high temperatures and water stress in forest stands are clear evidence of this. These conditions increase fuel availability, meaning that, under adverse circumstances, fires can spread more rapidly and intensely. Our strategies must be based on having a reliable, permanent operational response in place, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. For every euro we invest in firefighting, we invest more than 12 euros in sustainable forest management".

Another of the course's speakers was Raúl Vicente, a technician with the Forest Firefighting Reinforcement Brigade (BRIF), working for the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) through TRAGSA. Drawing on his 22 years of experience as a wildland firefighter, he stressed that "we need forestry practices adapted to today's circumstances, not only in terms of public-sector management but also by promoting greater dynamism in rural areas. This is essential to address the increasingly complex nature of 21st-century wildfires". In his opinion, "small municipalities need support through coordinated action involving different levels of public administration".

Turning to the situation in the Basque Country, he emphasised the importance of "preserving the mosaic landscape, where grazing areas alternate with areas under forest management. It is essential to combine this landscape mosaic with strategically located areas that provide firefighters with opportunities to operate effectively".

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