Europe wildfires: Australia experts urge preparation

Australian fire experts say European countries facing intense wildfires can learn from Australia's Black Summer bushfires by preparing earlier, reducing fuel around communities and giving clearer warnings to the public.

Australia's Black Summer bushfires from late 2019 to early 2020 burned millions of hectares, destroyed thousands of homes and covered cities with harmful smoke. The country has long dealt with severe fires on a vast, dry continent.

Bushfire consultant Roger Fenwick told AFP that regular controlled burning can reduce fuel levels so fires are less likely to grow beyond firefighters' capacity to contain them. He said fuel reduction can also include clearing undergrowth with machines or by hand.

David Peterson, an expert in managing bushfire risk, told AFP that asset protection zones can improve a building's chance of survival by keeping fuel away from homes. He said even 10 metres of cleared space can make a significant difference.

Greg Mullins, who served as commissioner of the New South Wales fire service from 2003 to 2017, said Australia's Black Summer showed officials should assume the worst is coming. He said there had been complacency and a failure to recognise a change in extreme weather.

Mullins said Europe needs more than firetrucks and aircraft. He said communities can be made more resilient through regulations, building spaces, education and basic tools that help people protect themselves during major fires.

Australian authorities issue daily fire danger ratings on roadside boards and social media, ranging from “moderate” to “catastrophic.” During fire bans, outdoor barbecues and wood-fired pizza ovens cannot be used.

Fenwick said authorities also need to tell people clearly when help may not arrive and when they need to leave because staying would be deadly.

Australia also has a large volunteer firefighting system. More than 180,000 people volunteered nationwide in 2023-2024, according to government-backed Natural Hazards Research Australia.

Experts cited similarities between Australia's Black Summer and recent conditions in Europe, including long droughts and very high temperatures. They said high winds can help fires spread too quickly to extinguish.

Mullins said Europe has also seen pyrocumulonimbus, or fire clouds, which can generate wind and lightning. He said the phenomenon can be so dangerous that firefighting aircraft cannot operate and crews on the ground have to take cover.

Scientists say human-caused climate change has made the extreme conditions that fuel such fires twice as likely as in a pre-industrial climate. Mullins said politicians have a duty to address climate change or face bigger and more deadly fires every summer.