Global wildfire activity burns 112 million hectares in 2026

Global wildfire activity has reached significant levels in 2026, with approximately 112.3 million hectares of land burned worldwide as of August 1. This total includes prescribed burns, agricultural burns, and uncontrolled wildfires.

Africa has emerged as the epicenter of this activity, accounting for more than half of the world's burned land. The Democratic Republic of Congo leads globally with over 13.6 million hectares burned, followed by Australia, Angola, and South Sudan. Other heavily affected regions include Myanmar and India.

In Europe, the Copernicus climate monitoring agency reports that forest fires have destroyed more than 554,000 hectares within the European Union since the beginning of the year. A significant increase in damage occurred after early July, with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece identified as the most severely impacted countries during a period of intense heat.