SECTORAL POLICIES / Environment

Never before have so many EU countries suffered major fires as in 2018, according to annual forest fire report

Brussels, 31/10/2019 (Agence Europe)

In 2018 forest fires destroyed nearly 178,000 hectares (ha) of forests and land in the EU. Although this represents less than one-sixth of the area burned in 2017 and less than the long-term average, more countries than ever have suffered major fires, according to the Commission's annual report on forest fires in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, published on Thursday 31 October. 

Last year, the highest number of fires of 30 ha or more were recorded in Italy (147 fires,...