News Summary

• Wildfires in southern Europe are leaving a trail of devastation and causing billions of euros in damage.
• Spain's economy in particular is at risk of being choked by clouds of ash.
• According to the EU's Copernicus Earth observation system, around 206,000 hectares of forest in Spain have already gone up in flames this year.
• The economic damage goes far beyond losses to tourism.
• It also includes the loss of biodiversity, declining forestry revenues, soil erosion, destroyed infrastructure and property, as well as the costs of fighting the fires.