Spain accounts for 43.3% of EU wildfire area in 2026

Spain has accounted for 301,101 hectares burned from the beginning of 2026 through October 7, representing 43.3% of the total 694,707 hectares burned across the European Union, according to the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

While Spain has recorded 463 fires so far this year, it trails Italy, which has seen 690 fires, but remains ahead of France with 375. The most severe period for Spanish wildfires occurred in July, which included the deadly Los Gallardos fire in Almería that resulted in 13 fatalities. Other significant damage was reported in Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo, where over 77,000 hectares were destroyed.

Although the current total is lower than the 2025 figure of 393,079 hectares—the worst since 1994—the intensity of the July surge was notable, with burned areas more than doubling compared to the same date in the previous year.