Three wildfires that broke out within days of each other in Spain and France this month are among the 15 largest recorded in the European Union since 2016.
The largest wildfire in Spain’s recent history broke out in the province of Avila, west of Madrid, on July 22.
The blaze, which is still burning, has already scorched almost 44,000 hectares (109,000 acres), according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), making it the sixth-largest wildfire recorded in the EU over the past decade.
A wildfire that broke out in the Guadalajara province, east of Madrid, is now the 14th-largest recorded in the EU since 2016, with more than 33,000 hectares burned.
READ ALSO: Why Europe won’t get any new Canadair water bombers any time soon
France also entered the record books this month, with the country’s largest wildfire since 1949 burning near Bordeaux since July 22, although it is now considered to be “stabilised”.
The blaze is the eighth-largest fire in the EU over the last 10 years, having destroyed more than 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres), according to EFFIS, which relies on satellite imagery analysis.
READ ALSO: Fire-hit France region ‘coming up for air’ as main blaze calms
Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas — and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
EFFIS figures may diverge from national data due to methodological differences, and estimates are updated as new satellite imagery becomes available.
A wildfire in Greece’s Evros region in 2023 remains the largest recorded by EFFIS in the EU since 2016, having burned more than 96,000 hectares.
The next three largest fires all occurred in Portugal, in 2017 and 2025.
With around 91,000 hectares burned between the start of the year and the end of July, France has recorded its highest annual burned area since EFFIS records began in 2006.
In Spain, the burned area so far this year is five times higher than the average for the same date over the previous 20 years.
The country is approaching, but has not yet exceeded, the highest cumulative area burned by the end of July on record.
Overall, the long-term average burned area has been exceeded in around 15 EU countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal and Belgium.
