EU faces worst wildfire season on record

Spain and Portugal have been hardest hit, together accounting for more than two-thirds of the total burned area. In Spain, wildfires have scorched over 400,000 hectares, six times the national average for this period. In Portugal, more than 270,000 hectares have burned, nearly five times the average. Combined, the Iberian Peninsula has lost 684,000 hectares – an area four times greater than Greater London – much of it within just two weeks.

The fires have devastated forested regions of Galicia, Asturias, Castile and León, and northern Portugal, affecting national parks and even parts of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes. In Portugal, the largest blaze on record near Piodao consumed more than 60,000 hectares before being extinguished after 12 days.

According to EU data, wildfire-related carbon dioxide emissions have reached unprecedented levels. In Spain alone, fires released 17.68 million tonnes of CO₂ this year, the highest since satellite monitoring began in 2003. Across the EU, emissions from fires stand at 38 million tonnes, putting 2025 on course to exceed all previous annual records.

Scientists link the worsening fire season directly to climate change, with heatwaves and prolonged droughts making conditions more severe. Experts warn that without stronger prevention and adaptation measures, extreme wildfire seasons are likely to become increasingly frequent across Europe.

Earlier, it was reported that nearly 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres) of land had been burned over the past 13 days in Spain, as the country continued to battle 22 active wildfires as of last Wednesday.