Fast facts: the 2025 wildfire season

The 2025 wildfire season

Scale and impact 

• Over 1 million hectares burnt within the EU by August 2025 – well above the 2006–2024 average.
• Major fires affected Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, with additional outbreaks in the Balkans, Ireland, Romania and Ukraine.
• The 2025 season saw larger and more frequent wildfires than any previous year in the past two decades. 

 Preparedness and prevention 

• The EU has deployed 30 certified capacities in the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP) – including 26 ground and 4 aerial firefighting modules.
• Through rescEU, 18 firefighting aircraft and 4 helicopters have been made available, co-financed by the European Commission and stationed across 10 Member States.
• A total of 671 firefighters from 14 countries prepositioned in Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, strengthening local readiness and cross-border cooperation. 

 Monitoring and early warning 

• The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) operated with a dedicated Wildfire Support Team, bringing together experts from Member and Participating States.
• Using Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) and the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the team provided near-real-time fire mapping, forecasts and situation reports.
• EFFIS data identified very extreme fire danger in north-west Spain and Portugal in mid-August, preceding major UCPM activations. 

 Response and European solidarity 

• Across Europe, 16 wildfire activations were coordinated through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), plus 2 outside Europe.
• More than 1,000 first responders were deployed across 12 countries, supported by rescEU aircraft, ground teams and Copernicus mapping services.
• Notable missions included Albania, Greece, Montenegro, Portugal and Spain, where over 850 water drops and hundreds of flight hours were logged. 

For more detailed data and analysis, visit The 2025 Wildfires Season