The figures vary depending on who is counting. The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS (source in Spanish)), which uses satellite imagery, estimates that around 50,000 hectares have already burned in Spain this year.
The Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco (source in Spanish)) works with a different figure, slightly lower: 39,700 hectares up to 21 June, according to the reports submitted by the regional governments.
Miteco records what each region officially reports, while EFFIS provides continuous monitoring from space. Together they offer a more accurate picture of what is happening on the ground.
So far, June has taken the hardest hit: 15,900 hectares burned in that month alone, more than in any other month so far in 2026. July, by contrast, began without any major notable fires, at least up to the moment when these data were compiled.
Cantabria at the centre of the map
Looking province by province, Cantabria stands out from the rest: around 15,500 hectares burned, the highest figure in the country. It is not the region you would expect to find in that position. Historically, Ourense, Zamora and León are the ones that post the worst figures year after year, because of their vegetation and terrain.
But every season follows its own logic. Álava is another striking case: barely 100 hectares burned, a small figure in absolute terms, but far above what would normally correspond to this point in the calendar according to its record.
As for the largest fires those that Miteco classifies as major forest fires, with more than 500 hectares burned Spain has recorded 14 so far this year.
The most recent have broken out on the Costa Brava (on 3 July), in San Bartolomé de la Torre and Villanueva de los Castillejos (Huelva), Alcampell (Huesca), Obejo (Córdoba) and Congosto (León).
This brings the number of major fires recorded in Spain so far this century to 353. They are few compared with the total number of blazes declared each year, but they account for a large share of the damage and leave scars that take decades to heal.
A season putting Europe under pressure too
The phenomenon is not confined to Spain. Across the European Union, the burned area already stands at around 130,400 hectares, 16% above what is usual for this time of year. In some countries the deviation is even greater:
- Slovakia has far exceeded its historical average for this time of year.
- France has multiple active fronts.
- In Estonia the figure is eight times higher than expected.
- Portugal has triggered the European Civil Protection Mechanism because of the fires.
The pattern repeats itself season after season: a few months of relative calm followed by peaks that concentrate much of the year’s damage. What remains to be seen is whether July and August, traditionally the most dangerous months, will follow the same pattern or be marked by fires on an even larger scale.
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