Report on the large wildfires of 2022 in Europe

The year 2022 was marked by large wildfires that caused significant social, environmental and economic impacts. Describing some of the most impactful occurrences is essential, not only for historical record but also for drawing lessons that can be important for defining policies and improving strategies, tactics, and operations aiming at a more efficient fire management. This report was developed within the European FirEUrisk Project, in association with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. It describes some of the largest European fires that occurred in 2022, with a special focus on the fire behaviour and the orographic, meteorological and operational conditions, among others, in which it spread. This analysis revealed the great disparity of policies and functioning capabilities that exist in European countries, many of which result from the importance that fires have in different territories. A reflection of lessons to be learned dedicated to each fire event indicates several aspects that can improve the fire management system, both at the national and European Union levels. This report also includes a chapter dedicated to fires in Ukraine during 2022, when the country is at war. Naturally, all the constraints raised create additional challenges in the management of wildfires. It was considered that this experience brought learning that should be shared, so a specific chapter was dedicated to this issue.