EU records wildfire season in 2025 as Spain bears two-fifths of total

A record-breaking wildfire season in Europe has intensified across the European Union in 2025, with more than one million hectares burned by mid-late August and Spain accounting for roughly two-fifths of the EU total. Authorities warn that dangerous fire weather remains in many regions as communities face evacuations, damaged landscapes and mounting air-quality concerns. The scale and speed of fires have prompted renewed calls for long-term prevention measures, stronger forest management and a coordinated, climate-informed approach to risk.

Official data show the EU total at about 1,015,000 hectares burned this year, surpassing the previous record and signaling a surge in extreme fire weather across the continent. Four countries—Spain, Cyprus, Germany and Slovakia—have already endured their worst fire year in two decades, and 22 of the 27 EU members had fires by August, underscoring how widely the threat has spread. Alongside the losses of land, researchers note rising emissions and deteriorating air quality, with carbon dioxide and fine particulates reaching levels that threaten public health across the region.

In Spain, the blaze wave has been driven by an unusually dry spring...