EU Wildfires 2016-2025: Burnt Area Reaches Record Levels
In the last ten years, the area that has suffered because of wildfire disasters in the European Union has fluctuated a lot, with some extreme years being particularly noticeable. Based on information from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which works under the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, the total burnt area from bigger fires (around 30 hectares or more) for the EU27 was:
| Year | Burnt Area (hectares) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | ~180,000 | Near or below average |
| 2017 | 988,524 | Previous record year |
| 2018 | ~175,000 | Relatively quiet |
| 2019 | ~220,000 | Above average |
| 2020 | ~230,000 | Near average |
| 2021 | ~550,000 | Well above average |
| 2022 | ~800,000 | One of the worst seasons |
| 2023 | ~500,000 | 4th largest on record |
| 2024 | ~400,000 | Still above long-term average |
| 2025 | 1,034,552 to 1,079,538 | New record |
The wildfire season in 2025 has established a new record of being the most destructive in Europe in terms of total burnt area and carbon emissions, breaking the previous record made in 2017, although 2017 and 2018 were the deadliest due to the high tragic loss in some areas, like in Portugal and Greece.
The average yearly number of acres burnt from 2006 to 2024 has been equal to 350,000 to 400,000.
Note that these statistics only reflect 27 EU member countries and only wildfires equal to or more than 30 hectares in size which have been detected via satellite methods.
Note for 2026: The wildfires in Europe are still being reported on in mid-July 2026. However, this year the area burnt has been significantly higher than normal for this time of the year, but the final report is still in progress.
References/data source:
EFFIS Statistics Portal main data source
Copernicus European State of the Climate 2025-wildfires
Advance report on forest fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2025 (JRC)
DOI: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/3859043
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