Wildfires in Europe: Is 2026 already the worst year on record?
Wildfires have been hitting Europe this summer. In France and Spain alone, more than 320,000 people had been evacuated as of late July. Wildfires continue as heatwaves spread with mid-August approaching.
Measuring the cost of wildfires is complicated. Burnt area is easy to measure, but the economic impact, and other effects, need more effort.
"Europe's wildfires this year confirm that their economic cost reaches far beyond restoring burnt land,” Professor Simone Varotto, from Henley Business School at University of Reading, said.
“The eventual bill will include destroyed homes, businesses and crops, disrupted tourism and industry, smoke-related health effects, added strain on public finances and potentially higher insurance premiums.”
Still, the burnt area shows the scale of wildfires and their possible impacts.
So, how many hectares of land have burnt in Europe so far in 2026? Which countries lost the largest burnt area? Were wildfires in 2026 more costly than in previous years in Europe?
2026: Fourth-largest area burnt as of early August
As of early August, 2026 ranks fourth in the EU for cumulative area burnt by wildfires according to Our World in Data, which relies on the Global Wildfire Information System.
As of the 31st week, 489,826 hectares had burnt in the EU. This is the highest figure after 2012 (863,122 ha), 2022 (799,040 ha), and 2017 (743,906 ha).
The average of the fourteen years from 2012 to 2025 in this period was 434,711 ha in the EU. 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.
Varotto noted that Europe's fires have mainly struck forests, scrubland, pastures and farmland, with several also reaching towns and peri-urban areas.
38% of the EU’s wildfire-burnt area is in Spain
Spain has been the hardest-hit EU country by wildfires in terms of area burnt. As of early August in 2026, 185,948 hectares had burnt this year. This accounts for 38% of the EU total.
Between 2012 and 2025, an average of 85,626 hectares had burnt in Spain by week 31 each year. In 2026, the figure is more than double that average.
As of week 31, 2026 is the third-worst year for Spain's cumulative area burnt by wildfires since 2012 where the data starts in this comparison.
Spain lost 258,340 ha in 2022, and 211,350 ha in 2012.
2026 is the worst year for France
France is second, with 99,092 ha over 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.
2026 is the worst year for France since 2012. France lost 86,888 ha to wildfires in 2019, the second-highest figure.
As of early August in 2026, Italy (79,084 ha), Portugal (47,776 ha) and Greece (23,839 ha) have also been heavily affected by wildfires.
For Italy, 2026 is the fifth-worst year in the last 15 years for area burnt by wildfires. The same is true for Portugal.
By comparison, 2026 has been a less severe year for Greece. The country recorded larger areas burnt by wildfires in several previous years.
Several countries saw a significant rise in 2026
While the cumulative area burnt by wildfires is comparatively lower, several countries recorded a significant rise in 2026 compared with their 14-year average.
For example, Austria lost 1,687 ha this year as of early August, compared with 513 ha on average. Denmark lost 1,177 ha compared with 404 ha. Germany lost 6,045 ha compared with 3,098 ha. The Netherlands lost 1,677 ha compared with 352 ha.
This is the case for the UK too, losing 22,206 ha compared with 12,311 ha. 2026 has been the worst-hit year not only for the UK but also several European countries over the last 15 years. This is, of course, only as of early August.
Turkey saw significantly fewer wildfires this year. Turkey lost 39,556 ha this year so far, compared with 134,707 ha on average.
“Fire risk is no longer confined to the Mediterranean”
Simone Varotto warned British authorities, suggesting the UK should treat southern Europe as an early warning.
“This summer's heatwaves and wildfires in southern England, which have already burnt more than 20,000 hectares, show that fire risk is no longer confined to the Mediterranean,” he said.
Reporting from euronews contributed to this story.
