BACKGROUND: Vegetation fires can release substantial quantities of fine particles (PM2.5), which are harmful to health. The fire smoke may be transported over long distances and can cause adverse health effects over wide areas. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess annual mortality attributable to short-term exposures to vegetation-fire originated PM2.5 in different regions of Europe. METHODS: PM2.5 emissions from vegetation fires in Europe in 2005 and 2008 were evaluated based on the MODIS satellite data on fire radiative power. Atmospheric transport of the emissions was modelled using the chemical transport model SILAM. Mortality impacts were estimated for 27 European countries based on (i) modelled daily PM2.5 concentrations and (ii) population data, both presented in a 50x50 km2 spatial grid, (iii) an exposure-response function for short-term PM2.5 exposure and daily non-accidental mortality, and (iv) country-level data for background mortality risk. RESULTS: In the 27 countries overall, an estimated 1483 and 1080 premature deaths were attributable to the vegetation-fire originated PM2.5 in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Estimated impacts were highest in southern and eastern Europe. However, all countries were affected by fire-originated PM2.5, and even the lower concentrations in western and northern Europe contributed substantially (~30%) to the overall estimate of attributable mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our assessment suggests that air pollution due to PM2.5 released from vegetation fires is a notable risk factor for public health in Europe. Moreover, the risk can be expected to increase in the future as the climate change proceeds. This should be taken into consideration when evaluating the overall health and socio-economic impacts of the fires.