In 2020 the biggest fire in Ireland burnt state-owned forestry in Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim

The most severe event occurred near Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim in April, resulting in damage to 100 hectares of mainly State-owned forestry. The fire was the result of the deliberate burning of illegally dumped household waste.

For the whole region covered by the report, after the worst-ever year in 2019, 2020 was slightly better but data for 2021 are bad again. At the time of the release of the report, almost 0.5 million hectares have gone up in flames, 61% of it being forests that will take years to recover.

Even if the EU has reinforced its capacity to assist countries in 2021, especially for the large fires in the Mediterranean region, fires are also a growing threat for central and northern Europe. More than nine out of ten fires in the EU are caused by human actions.

The JRC provides a key contribution to wildfire disaster risk reduction in Europe and globally through the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). This tool supports the EU’s work to prevent wildfires, preserve forest, recover biodiversity and save lives. Building on the EU biodiversity strategy, as part of the European Green Deal in July the Commission proposed the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030.