2025 "most devastating wildfire season on record, with over one million hectares of land burnt in the EU"

"The European Union experienced its most devastating wildfire season on record in 2025, with over one million hectares of land burnt - an area roughly the size of Cyprus - according to new data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS, part of the JRC)" published on 31/03/2026.

Key takeaways of the data analysis are:
• That "the season began unusually early, with more than 100 000 hectares already destroyed by the end of March.
• 7 783 wildfires swept across 25 EU countries.
• In August, the prolonged heatwave sparked 22 major fires in Portugal and Spain alone, burning 460 585 hectares - nearly half of the EU’s total burnt area.
• Beyond the EU, wildfires ravaged 2.2 million hectares across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, with Ukraine suffering the most severe impact, accounting for 30% of the total burnt area and 39% of all fires."

"Overall, the 2025 fire season aligned with the patterns identified in the last years: early start of the fire season, more frequent and intense heat waves that propelled larger fire events, and some of these large fires at higher…