WORLD NEWS
BRUSSELS: Europe is believed to have endured its most severe wildfire season to date in 2025, according to early assessments from the European Forest Fire Information Service (EFFIS). The latest estimates point to an alarming rise in both the scale and intensity of wildfires across the continent, reflecting a worsening trend of longer, more destructive fire seasons.
EFFIS’ initial data shows a sharp escalation in wildfire activity, with the total burned area for 2025 expected to exceed all previously recorded levels since the agency began keeping track in 2006.
These early indicators come on the heels of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) wildfire report for 2024, which documented 383,317 hectares burned across Europe. Although that figure was lower than the 500,000 hectares affected in 2023—thanks partly to periods of rainfall—it remained above the 17-year average of 354,185 hectares.
The number of recorded fires in 2024 was particularly striking: 8,343 incidents, more than four times the long-term average.
Within the European Union, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were the hardest hit, collectively accounting for 334,940 hectares of scorched land.
Severe losses were also reported among non-EU members participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Türkiye, and Ukraine all faced significant wildfire damage, with Ukraine alone responsible for nearly half of the total burned area in these countries—much of it in regions affected by ongoing conflict.
EFFIS notes that wildfire behaviour in Europe is changing rapidly, driven by shifting climate patterns. With fires becoming more aggressive and seasons stretching longer than ever, firefighting services across Europe are being pushed to their limits.
EU authorities stress that while boosting firefighting resources is crucial, it is equally important to invest in long-term prevention strategies. Integrated fire management, better land-use planning, and nature-based solutions are among the measures officials say will be key to tackling Europe’s escalating wildfire crisis.
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