More than 530,000 hectares have been lost in forest fires across various parts of Europe this year, with total damage and economic losses estimated at between €15.6 billion and €19.1 billion.
Spain and France are among the countries most severely affected by the fires. The estimates include the direct and indirect effects of the fires, as well as emergency response costs.
Health and economic activity also affected
The total loss estimate also includes the short- and long-term health effects of the fires, along with disruptions to daily life and economic activity.
Extreme heat and drought are expected to continue keeping the risk of forest fires in Europe high through the autumn.
Regions facing high risk
Forest fire danger remains at an “extremely high” level across much of Western and Central Europe. Parts of France, northern Spain and the southern British Isles are among the regions facing the highest risk.
Southern Scandinavia, Italy, parts of Eastern Europe and the Balkans also include areas where the risk of forest fires is high.
Forest fires in Europe throughout 2025 caused the loss of 1.08 million hectares.