In Europe, nearly 650 thousand hectares of land have burned since the beginning of 2026

Nearly 650 thousand hectares of land have burned in Europe since the beginning of 2026

Since the beginning of 2026, nearly 648 thousand hectares of territory in Europe have been damaged due to forest fires.

This figure is lower than during the same period last year. In 2025, by this time, nearly 995 thousand hectares of territory in Europe had been damaged by fires. Nevertheless, in a number of Southern European countries, the area of fires was significantly higher than the average of the last 20 years.

The greatest damage was recorded in Spain — fires in the country covered more than 295 thousand hectares of territory.

In France, nearly 96.5 thousand hectares of land burned. The average figure for recent years in this country is 14.8 thousand hectares. In Italy, fires covered nearly 105 thousand hectares of territory, whereas the multi-year average is nearly 57 thousand hectares.

Meanwhile, in Portugal and Greece, the area of territory damaged by fires was below the multi-year average.

Researchers attribute the severe fire season to an early heatwave and severe drought. This was also influenced by heavy precipitation in winter. The wet winter led to the rapid growth of grass and other vegetation, which dried up in summer and became easily ignitable "fuel" for fires.

Experts note that the majority of fires are directly caused by the human factor. This includes negligence or cases of arson.

In 2026, major forest fires flared up in France and Spain due to anomalously hot, dry weather and strong winds. More than 300 thousand residents were evacuated from dangerous areas in the two countries.

In addition, France experienced its hottest summer since 1900. The heatwave observed in the country at the end of June set a record for its high level of intensity. During this period, 2,025 additional heat-related deaths were recorded. Deaths increased especially among the population over 45 years of age.