The wildfires, fueled by an exceptionally wet winter followed by extreme heat, have created a tinderbox effect across the continent. In Spain, the fires, described as potentially the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history, have merged into a megafire near Madrid, releasing energy equivalent to 29 Hiroshima bombs. Climate experts attribute the intensity of these fires to rising temperatures and increased vegetation due to rural depopulation, which has left fields and forests unmanaged, exacerbating fire risks.