2026, the worst year of fires in Europe? - About 490 thousand hectares have burned
Wildfires have ravaged Europe this summer. In France and Spain alone, more than 320,000 people had been evacuated by the end of July. The fires continue as heatwaves spread as mid-August approaches. Measuring the cost of wildfires is tricky. The area burned is easy to measure, but the economic impact and other effects require more effort.
As of the beginning of August, 2026 ranks fourth in the EU for cumulative area burned by fires, according to Our World in Data, which relies on the Global Wildfire Information System. By week 31, 489,826 hectares had been burned in the EU. This is the highest figure after 2012 (863,122 ha), 2022 (799,040 ha) and 2017 (743,906 ha). The fourteen-year average from 2012 to 2025 in this period was 434,711 ha in the EU. The year 2026 is 55,115 ha, or 13%, higher than this average. All figures compare the same point in the year, which is the end of week 31.
Spain has been the EU country worst hit by fires in terms of area burned. As of the beginning of August 2026, 185,948 hectares had burned this year. This represents 38% of the EU total. Between 2012 and 2025, an average of 85,626 hectares had burned in Spain by week 31 each year. In 2026, the figure is more than double the average.
France is second, with 99,092 ha during this period, corresponding to 20% of the EU total. The 14-year average for France is 31,648 hectares. The 2026 figure is more than three times this average. Since the beginning of August 2026, Italy (79,084 ha), Portugal (47,776 ha) and Greece (23,839 ha) have also been severely affected by fires.
For Italy, 2026 is the fifth worst year in the last 15 years for areas burned by fires. The same applies to Portugal. In comparison, 2026 has been a less severe year for Greece. The country recorded larger areas burned by fires in several previous years.
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