The burnt area in Spain has already surpassed 119,000 hectares in 2026, more than three times that of the same period last year, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
The wave of wildfires sweeping across Spain this summer has already scorched 119,458 hectares so far in 2026, a figure that triples the 35,270 hectares recorded at the same time in 2025. This is reflected in the data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which is part of the European Union's Copernicus programme.
To grasp the magnitude, the devastated area is equivalent to 1,200 square kilometres, a larger area than the combined total of the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville, which together total 981.3 square kilometres. In more graphic terms, about 168,067 football pitches have been reduced to ashes.
The increase has been particularly pronounced in the second half of July. Between July 9 and 15, 23,076 hectares burned, but the following week, from July 16 to 22, the burnt area rose to 37,999 hectares, the worst weekly record of all of 2026. In the same period of 2025, only 10,300 hectares had been scorched.
The main focus of this surge has been the fire in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara, now considered the second largest in history in Spain. It is joined by other large fires declared in the Zaragoza region of Cinco Villas and in Los Gallardos (Almería).
Despite the severity of the situation, the figures are still far from those reached in August 2025. Between August 6 and 12 of that year, 144,158 hectares burned, and the following week, from August 13 to 19, the burnt area rose to 178,141 hectares, the worst weekly balance in the historical series. That wave was marked by the major fire in Larouco, Quiroga, and Oencia, between the provinces of Orense, Lugo, and León, which devastated 37,765 hectares and remains the largest wildfire recorded in Spain.
The number of fires has also skyrocketed. So far this year, 343 fires have been recorded in Spain, compared to 129 registered at this time in 2025, according to EFFIS. For its part, the Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco) had counted 18 large wildfires by July 12, a figure that more than doubles that of the same period last year (seven) and significantly exceeds the average of the last decade, which stands at eight.
The high temperatures and abundant vegetation, a consequence of the intense rains in winter and spring, have created conditions conducive to the easy ignition of plant material. The heatwave affecting Spain this week keeps the risk of wildfires at very high or extreme levels across most of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned that the risk will increase in the coming days, urging citizens to exercise extreme caution. In the province of Seville, although no large fires have been recorded in recent weeks, authorities remind the importance of maintaining a vigilant attitude, especially in urban-forest interface areas and during the hottest days.
Data from EFFIS confirms that the 2026 fire season is exceptionally harsh, and all signs point to August potentially bringing new episodes if weather conditions do not change. The comparison with 2025, already a devastating year, underscores the gravity of the current situation.
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