Wildfires guide
Wildfire Season in Europe: When It Peaks, Where Fires Burn and How Bad It Gets
Most of Europe's wildfires burn between June and September, around the Mediterranean, but the season is getting longer and fires now reach far beyond the south. Here is when and where they burn, and how recent years compare.
Updated 4 November 2026
When the season runs
The traditional fire season runs from early June to mid-September, peaking in July and August when heat, drought and wind come together. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre reports that the season is getting longer: large fires now break out in spring and autumn too, and in 2025 more than 100,000 hectares had already burned in the EU by the end of March.
Where fires burn
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy and southern France see the most fires and the largest burnt areas, along with Croatia, Cyprus and, increasingly, Romania and Bulgaria. Hot, dry summers, flammable scrub and pine forest, abandoned farmland and strong winds make the Mediterranean the most fire-prone part of Europe. But fires now also strike further north, in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK, during dry spells.
About 96% of wildfires in the EU are started by people: by accident, through carelessness, or deliberately. Heat, drought and wind then decide how far they spread.
How recent years compare
| Year | Burnt area in the EU | What stood out |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to 7 October) | 692,419 ha | Nearly double the 2006–2025 average for the date. A record year for France, where a fire in the Gironde forced more than 220,000 people to evacuate; around 90,000 were displaced near Madrid |
| 2025 | 1,079,538 ha | The largest burnt area since EU records began in 2006. Portugal and Spain lost 460,585 ha in August alone |
| 2024 | 383,317 ha | Close to the long-term average |
| 2023 | about 500,000 ha | The Alexandroupolis fire in Greece, the largest single fire in the EU since 2000, killed at least 20 people |
| 2022 | nearly 900,000 ha | One of the worst years on record |
| 2017 | very large | Portugal's deadliest year: 64 people died in the Pedrógão Grande fire in June, and 45 more in October |
Figures are from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which maps fires of 30 hectares or more from satellite images. One hectare is 100 m by 100 m.
Fire danger levels
EFFIS publishes a daily fire danger forecast up to nine days ahead, based on the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI), which combines temperature, humidity, wind and how dry the vegetation is:
| FWI | Fire danger |
|---|---|
| below 11.2 | Low |
| 11.2–21.3 | Moderate |
| 21.3–38 | High |
| 38–50 | Very high |
| 50–70 | Extreme |
| above 70 | Very extreme |
National services issue their own fire danger warnings, and those are the ones to follow: they decide bans on barbecues, campfires and access to forests.
Fighting the fires
Countries share firefighting aircraft and crews through the EU's rescEU and civil protection system. For summer 2026 the EU pre-positioned its largest-ever response: 22 planes, 5 helicopters and 777 firefighters from 14 countries, ready to help wherever fires broke out.
Staying safe
- In an emergency, call 112, which works across the EU alongside national numbers.
- On high-danger days, don't light fires or barbecues outdoors, don't throw away cigarettes, and don't park on dry grass.
- If a fire is near, follow evacuation orders straight away. Leave early: roads can be cut off quickly.
- Smoke can travel far: see Wildfire smoke and air quality.
- Follow the fires on the Live map, and read How satellites spot wildfires to understand the hotspots.
Sources
- JRC: current wildfire situation in Europe (2026)
- JRC: 2025 was the EU's most destructive wildfire season on record
- JRC: Europe's fire season is expanding
- EFFIS: fire danger forecast
- European Commission: the 2026 wildfire response
- Carbon Brief: Europe's 2026 wildfire season
- CEPF: forest fires in 2023; Euronews: Portugal 2017
Not an official warning service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities.