…over 1 million hectares burned, evacuations forced
…Spain, Portugal, were hit hardest
Wildfires have destroyed more than 1 million hectares of land across the European Union this year, the highest level since records began in 2006. The scale of devastation has left communities shaken, homes destroyed, and thousands of people displaced.
EU data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that by Tuesday, around 1,028,000 hectares had burned. This area is larger than the entire island of Cyprus and surpasses the previous record set in 2017, when 998,000 hectares went up in flames.
Spain and Portugal were hit hardest, with the two countries accounting for nearly two-thirds of the EU’s scorched land. A 16-day heatwave in August worsened conditions, sparking blazes that killed at least eight people and forced highways, rail services, and villages to shut down.
“Each year the fires get stronger, and the season gets longer,” said Miguel Andrade, a firefighter in Portugal’s Fundão area. “People are losing not only their land but their history.”
In Spain’s Castille and Leon, 10 wildfires were still burning on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of around 700 residents. Fires also continued in Galicia and Asturias. In Portugal, firefighters extinguished a blaze in Piodão after 12 days of burning, making it the largest recorded in the country’s history, destroying over 60,000 hectares.
Scientists warn climate change is fueling more extreme heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. Although land-clearing and fire-prevention programs helped in some regions, the scale of 2025’s destruction shows adaptation alone may not be enough.
The environmental toll is also staggering. According to EFFIS, EU wildfires have released 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide this year—already higher than any point on record. If the fires continue, 2025 could break the annual record of 41 million tonnes, worsening global warming.
“This is a vicious cycle,” said Dr. Anna Keller, a climate researcher at the University of Vienna. “Climate change makes fires worse, and the fires release gases that make climate change even faster.”
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