Portugal's 2025 wildfires nearly exhaust 2030 burnt-area limit

Environmental group Zero warns that wildfires in 2025 pushed Portugal's cumulative burnt area to 98% of the limit set for the whole 2020-2030 decade under the National Action Programme, with five years still to go. The year was the fourth-worst for burnt area since 2001, with 271,000 hectares burnt, double 2024's figure, and rising ignitions from negligent fire use. Zero also criticised the Agency for Integrated Fire Management for lacking permanent leadership since 2024 and for implementing only 53% of the programme's measures, while controlled burning, called the cheapest and most effective prevention tool, fell further behind its annual target.