Nearly 1,200 square kilometers, or 115,000 hectares, have been burned by fires in France since the start of the year, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. This is almost five times higher than last year at the same point (24,000 hectares), and ten times the average of the past two decades (11,000 hectares between 2006 and 2025, as of July 29), according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
- Alone, the wildfire that has been ravaging the Gironde for several days has already burned 42,000 hectares of vegetation, with an additional 3,600 hectares around Biscarrosse, in Landes.
- That is more than the total area burned in most European countries, including Portugal (30,000 hectares), Romania (12,000 hectares) or Croatia (3,300 hectares).
The area affected by fires this year in France represents nearly half (44.5%) of the size of Luxembourg (2,586 km²).
- In France, the peak intensity of wildfires typically occurs between the beginning of July and mid-August.
- The arrival from tomorrow, Tuesday the 28th, of a new heatwave with a peak temperature of 40°C expected in the southwest — the region most affected by the fires — raises concerns about conditions favorable to the ignition of fires.
- It will be the 4th heatwave to hit the country since the start of summer, and the 54th heatwave nationwide since 1947.
The year 2026 is particularly conducive to forest fires in Western Europe, with a drought that occurred two months earlier than in 2022.
- The winter was fairly wet, which promoted the growth of vegetation.
- When drought set in during spring and then summer, this same vegetation, having become abundant, dried out, providing fuel conducive to the spread of fires.