Spain 2026 forest fires: the figures
Spain’s wildfire season is intensifying, with almost 50,000 hectares burnt. Cantabria is hardest hit, June the most destructive month, and 14 large forest fires have been recorded so far this year.
Published on 04/07/2026 - 9:20 GMT+2
The figures vary depending on who is counting them. 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, slightly lower figure: 39,700 hectares up to 21 June, based on reports submitted by the autonomous communities.
Miteco logs what each region reports officially, while EFFIS provides continuous monitoring from space. Together they offer a more accurate picture of what is happening on the ground.
For now, June has been the worst month: 15,900 hectares burned in that month alone, more than in any other so far in 2026. July, by contrast, began without any major noteworthy fires, at least up to the point when these figures 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 record the worst numbers year after year, because of their vegetation and terrain.
But each season has its own logic. Álava is another striking case: barely 100 hectares burned, a small figure in absolute terms, but well above what would be expected at this point in the year based on its track record.
As for the largest blazes, those 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).
There have now been 353 major fires recorded in Spain so far this century. They represent only a small fraction of all the blazes declared each year, but they account for much of the damage and leave scars that take decades to heal.
A season that is hitting Europe hard too
The phenomenon is not confined to Spain. Across the European Union, the area burned 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 fire 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 season after season: a few months of relative calm followed by peaks that concentrate much of the annual damage. What remains to be seen is whether July and August, the traditionally most dangerous months, will follow the same trend or be marked by fires of greater magnitude.
