Europe Wildfire Update: Spain accounts for 45% of EU burned area

wildfires climate change European Union forest fires Copernicus

Wildfires across Europe and parts of South America have caused significant environmental damage during the 2026 season. In the European Union, the total area burned until September 2 reached approximately 647,375 hectares, a 35% decrease compared to the same period in 2025. Despite this reduction, Spain remains heavily impacted, accounting for 45.6% of the total EU burned area with 295,720 hectares.

In Portugal, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) reported that 67,130 hectares burned between January and August. While this is a 73.5% decrease from 2025, the total burned area marks the fifth highest in the last decade. Large-scale fires in regions like Vouzela and Valpaços contributed significantly to this total.

Climate data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that Europe is warming at twice the global average, having already warmed by roughly 2.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels. This warming trend is linked to increasingly severe fire conditions and the loss of vital carbon stocks in forest ecosystems.

Entities

Copernicus · Copernicus Climate Change Service · Effis · European Forest Fire Information System · European Union · France · Italy · Kirsten Thonicke · Portugal · Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research · Spain

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] In a high-emissions scenario, temperatures could rise 3.6°C above pre-industrial averages. www.naftemporiki.gr · www.dailymail.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The area ravaged by wildfires in Europe is expected to almost triple by 2100. www.naftemporiki.gr · www.dailymail.com
[DISPUTED] Approximately 5.4 million hectares burned in the European Union between mid-June and early September. www.cnn.gr · french.almanar.com.lb · www.larissanet.gr · parallaximag.gr · www.real.gr · +2 more
[● 2 SOURCES] More than 12 million hectares of land burned across Europe and North Africa during the summer of 2026. www.naftemporiki.gr · www.dailymail.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] More than 1.2 million hectares of land burned between July 1 and August 31. www.dailymail.com
[● 7 SOURCES] A single fire in the Spanish province of Ávila burned more than 42,000 hectares on July 22. www.cnn.gr · french.almanar.com.lb · www.tf1info.fr · www.larissanet.gr · parallaximag.gr · +1 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Wildfires affected the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, Italy, Greece, the Balkans, Ukraine, and Algeria. www.naftemporiki.gr · www.dailymail.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Europe has warmed by approximately 2.5°C relative to pre-industrial temperatures. forbesliberia.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Portugal recorded 67,130 hectares of burned area between January 1 and August 31. www.diarioviseu.pt · observador.pt · maisribatejo.pt
[● 3 SOURCES] The burned area in Portugal in 2026 is the fifth highest of the decade. www.diarioviseu.pt · observador.pt · maisribatejo.pt
[● 2 SOURCES] Spain accounts for 45.6% of the total area burned in the EU. www.moncloa.com · www.lacerca.com
[DISPUTED] The total burned area in the EU until September 2 summed 647,375 hectares. mundour.com · efeverde.com