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Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations Across Greece and Turkey

Above: A forest fire in Kryoneri, Greece on July 26, 2025. Image copyright: Costas Baltas/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

These devastating wildfires represent a clear manifestation of climate change's accelerating impact on Mediterranean regions. The record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented fire intensity demonstrate how human-induced climate change is making summers hotter, longer, and more destructive. Greece and Turkey are experiencing what scientists call a "wildfire hotspot" phenomenon, where traditional fire seasons are extending and blazes are becoming more frequent and severe.

Climate-skeptic narrative

Blaming climate change for every wildfire obscures the truth: the majority of fires are started by humans — through negligence, arson, or poor land use. Meanwhile, global wildfire frequency has actually declined in some regions, and historic fires were often far worse. What’s changed is mismanagement: suppressed natural burns, fuel buildup, and flammable reforestation choices have turned forests into tinderboxes. Smart land stewardship — not climate alarmism — is key to reducing wildfire severity.

Metaculus Prediction

There is a 50% chance wildfires will destroy a total exceeding 10Mha of global tree cover in any year, before 2031, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


The Controversies



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