Below you can find recent data on the wildfire situation in the EU.The data are sourced from the European Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS) of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which is implemented by the JRC. All data from EFFIS and presented here refers to fires larger than 30 hectares.During summer the data on this page are updated every Tuesday (as soon they are produced). Outside of this period the data are updated monthly on this page - however, you can find the most recent data on wildfires (with daily and weekly updates) directly on EFFIS. Wildfire situation in the EU - updated on 27 May 2026 88 945 hectares burnt since the start of the yearAbout half of the 166 951 hectares (ha) recorded by the same date in 2025 (the worst year on record), but still above the long-term average of 64 547 ha for the same period.810 fires detected since the start of the yearBelow the 896 recorded in the same period of 2025, but more than double the long-term average of 377.3 830 000 Mt of CO₂ emitted since the start of the yearBelow the 4 280 000 tonnes recorded in the same period of 2025 and below the long-term average of 4 460 000 Mt. For context, an average EU citizen emits 5.55 tonnes of CO₂ over an entire year (EDGAR, 2024).For more details, go to the EFFIS statistics portal Evolution of burnt areas in the EU Updated on 27 May 2026The graph shows that the area affected by fires has reached 88 945 hectares.This value is higher than the average of 64 548 hectares recorded for this time of year over the past 20 years (2006-2025).EFFIS statistics portal Wildfires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa in 2025 Extent and impact of wildfiresThe map shows the scale and geographic spread of fires monitored by EFFIS in 2025. In the EU, wildfires burnt an unprecedented 1 079 538 hectares (only including fires <30 ha) or 1 034 552 hectares (including fires >30 ha), the largest area recorded since EFFIS records started.Wildfire activity was especially high in Portugal, Spain, southern France, southern Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Ukraine, and parts of the UK. Most fires over 5,000 ha (purple circles) occurred in the western Iberian Peninsula.Beyond (but incl.) EU borders, the total burnt area rose to 2 242 195 hectares (for fires <30 ha) across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Ukraine accounted for 30% of the total burnt area.Check the full reportEU, 2025 Long-term fire weather forecast Seasonal temperature anomalies - June 2026Seasonal rainfall anomalies - June 2026 About these data Fires mapped in EFFIS and presented here are approximately 30 hectares or larger and may include fires set intentionally for the purpose of vegetation management.Note that this data might differ from that reported by national monitoring systems due to the use of different methodologies (e.g. differences in the size of the fires mapped or how a wildfire is categorised).More on EFFIS' methods and data• EFFIS burned areas are manually mapped by trained analysts. Analysts inspect satellite imagery and delineate the boundaries of the wildfires, using several ancillary data sources to support the process. The satellite imagery used in this process includes images from several sensors (e.g. MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-2). Fire perimeters are updated and refined when more recent or higher resolution imagery is available. These updates can take place up to 8 times per day. Due to challenging conditions such as cloud cover and smoke, some images may not be suitable for mapping. This may result in a delayed mapping of some fires. In the final EFFIS records, every single fire perimeter is mapped with a good quality high-resolution satellite image (e.g. Sentinel-2).• While thermal anomalies are supporting data sources in the mapping process, they are not the primary data source. Hot spots from thermal sensors (e.g. MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-3) help locate and prioritise the areas where to search for active wildfires. However, EFFIS' mapping of burnt areas is based on optical imagery (e.g. MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-2). Visual interpretation of optical imagery ensures that non-fire heat sources, such as photovoltaic installations, are not mistakenly mapped as burned areas.• Very small fires may be below EFFIS' detection threshold, but these small events account for only a small fraction of total burned area. Due to satellite resolution limits EFFIS cannot detect very small fires. However, their omission does not significantly affect the overall burned-area figures. The areas mapped in EFFIS represent about 95% of the total area that burns in the EU every year.• EFFIS mapping process captures unburned islands within the perimeter of the wildfires. The final delineation of wildfire perimeters uses Sentinel-2 imagery at 20 metres resolution. This resolution allows a detailed delineation of burned areas and the identification of unburned patches within fire perimeters. While very small patches may not be detected, most significant unburned islands are excluded from the burned-area totals.• EFFIS includes prescribed and controlled burns. These fires are intentionally mapped because they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and, in some cases, can become uncontrolled. While some national datasets may identify them as prescribed burns, such information is not consistently available across Europe, limiting EFFIS' ability to systematically flag or exclude them.
Updated on 27 May 2026The graph shows that the area affected by fires has reached 88 945 hectares.This value is higher than the average of 64 548 hectares recorded for this time of year over the past 20 years (2006-2025).EFFIS statistics portal
Extent and impact of wildfiresThe map shows the scale and geographic spread of fires monitored by EFFIS in 2025. In the EU, wildfires burnt an unprecedented 1 079 538 hectares (only including fires <30 ha) or 1 034 552 hectares (including fires >30 ha), the largest area recorded since EFFIS records started.Wildfire activity was especially high in Portugal, Spain, southern France, southern Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Ukraine, and parts of the UK. Most fires over 5,000 ha (purple circles) occurred in the western Iberian Peninsula.Beyond (but incl.) EU borders, the total burnt area rose to 2 242 195 hectares (for fires <30 ha) across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Ukraine accounted for 30% of the total burnt area.Check the full reportEU, 2025
