Europe's worst year for forest fires/Burnt areas reach the size of Luxembourg
Spain is the EU country hardest hit by this year's fires, recording the highest proportion of land burned in Europe compared to its surface area in 2026. That's more than 200,000 hectares, or about 0.4% of the country's territory, according to the EU's Earth observation program, Copernicus.
Neighboring Portugal is also facing a harsh fire season, recording the second highest percentage of land burned in the EU, at 0.3%.
However, some non-EU countries, such as Ukraine or Montenegro, reported even worse rates.
France was another hard-hit country, with some 260,000 people evacuated, and the southwestern department of Gironde suffered the worst damage. Meanwhile, the EU as a whole could face its worst fire season on record.
The bloc has already experienced around 1,200 fires in 2026, which is more than double the annual average of 569, says the EU Forest Fire Information System.
So far, more than 250,000 hectares have burned, according to European Commission figures. To put that into perspective, that's roughly the size of Luxembourg.
With most of the summer still ahead, the total is on track to surpass the 2025 record of more than 270,000 acres.
Copernicus estimates that the 2026 fires have already released more than 8 tonnes of CO₂ across the EU. The average citizen emits around 5.55 tonnes over an entire year.
With "below-average precipitation also expected this week," the situation could worsen further, with "the strongest deficit extending from France through the Alps and into the Balkans." "Above-average precipitation includes Scandinavia and Northern Europe, with the strongest excess over Scandinavia," Copernicus said.
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