The wildfires that affected Portugal’s Beira Interior and Douro regions this summer destroyed historic vineyards, yet they also underscored the importance of the vine as a natural and productive firebreak, a key component in shaping resilient mosaic landscapes. As journalist and Revista de Vinhos editor Marc Barros points out in this article, the FIRE WINE initiative exemplifies the urgent need to rethink landscape management as a protective element against large-scale forest fires.

In just two days, by mid-August, Portugal had lost over 64,000 hectares — nearly half of the country’s total burned area in 2025 — thereby confirming its status as the European nation with the highest percentage of territory affected by wildfires. In response, there is growing scientific and institutional consensus on the strategic role of vineyards as natural barriers against fire.

The article published in Revista de Vinhos highlights several European programmes — including the FIRE WINE initiative under the FIRE-RES project (Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia) and LIFE MIDMACC — that promote agroforestry management and the maintenance of mosaic landscapes that help reduce fire spread, protect communities, and foster biodiversity.

Catalan examples such as the Mas Marès project (Alt Empordà) or the mountain vineyards in the Pyrenees, Barros concludes, demonstrate that viticulture can be a key tool for wildfire prevention and resilience, integrating productive, environmental, and social values within the same territory.