Wildfires burned fewer hectares globally in 2025 but caused major damage in wealthier regions

A study released in 2026 reported that wildfires burned 335 million hectares globally in 2025, the second-lowest total since 2002. The reduction occurred mainly because expanded farming in parts of Africa broke up continuous savannah fuels and slowed large fire spread.

Catastrophic fires still struck wealthier regions. The Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles ranked among the most destructive in U.S. history. Record blazes in Spain and Portugal consumed more than 500,000 hectares, and South Korea recorded its largest and deadliest wildfire season.

Regional damage and emissions A Scottish fire exceeded 100,000 hectares, pushing the United Kingdom past its previous annual burned-area record. Fires accounted for more than 38 percent of insured losses from weather disasters worldwide. Carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires fell to their third-lowest level on record because of the smaller global burned area.

Canadian boreal forests, however, released extreme emissions for the third consecutive year, surpassing the total output of the prior 15-year period.

Climate and land-use factors Researchers linked extreme fire weather in southern California, South Korea and the Mediterranean to high winds, drought and dry vegetation. An attribution study found that climate-driven conditions made the Portugal and Spain fires 39 times more likely.

Changes in land use and rural abandonment have increased fuel loads near populated areas, raising risks at the wildland-urban interface. The study authors noted that a relatively quiet global fire year can still produce severe local impacts.