Wildfire emissions in EU hit record levels in 2025

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Record wildfire emissions reported across the European Union

Climate Home News has reported that wildfire emissions across the European Union have reached their highest recorded level in 2025.

According to Climate Home News, data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that wildfires have burned more than one million hectares of land this year, releasing 38.37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The emissions released so far are more than double the average for the same period across the last two decades.

EFFIS data indicated that the emissions exceed Sweden’s annual carbon dioxide output.

Spain and Portugal recorded their worst fire season on record, with fatalities, mass displacement, and destruction of homes and crops.

Spain and Portugal face extreme fire conditions

Climate Home News reported that Spain and Portugal have faced their most severe wildfire season.

Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said: “The fires ravaging Spain and Portugal this month have caused extreme emissions.”

Parrington added: “In Spain alone, fire-related emissions this year are now four times higher than the average annual total.”

The Iberian Peninsula has experienced recurring heatwaves throughout August, worsening conditions for fire outbreaks.

Thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes, and at least seven people lost their lives in the blazes.

Scientists warn of climate feedback loop

Climate Home News stated that scientists are warning of a “feedback loop” between climate change and wildfire activity.

Paolo Laj, head of the Global Atmosphere Watch team at the World Meteorological Organization, said: “In fighting climate change, every effort counts – and of course, increasing emissions from forest fires is not good news.”

Researchers explained that greenhouse gas emissions create hotter, drier conditions, which enable fires to spread more quickly.

In turn, the fires release stored carbon from trees and soil, adding further emissions to the atmosphere.

The WMO said this cycle is worsening global warming while limiting the recovery capacity of forest ecosystems.

Global wildfire emissions trends

Climate Home News reported that wildfire emissions have been rising worldwide in recent years.

According to the World Resources Institute, fires in 2023 and 2024 released more greenhouse gases than India’s annual emissions.

The organisation explained that fire events spanned tropical forests in South America and boreal forests in Canada and Russia.

Laj said the share of global carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires is expected to continue rising.

Risks for national climate strategies

According to Climate Home News, growing wildfire emissions pose risks for national carbon-reduction strategies.

It said many countries are depending on forest carbon sinks to meet 2030 and 2035 targets.

The EU’s nationally determined contribution, last updated in 2023, raised reliance on land-based carbon removal to achieve its 2030 goal.

Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, said: “Will the EU get the sink that they planned for? I doubt it. Brussels might require more action from other sectors to compensate for the weakening of its forests.”

He added: “Governments need to adopt a more realistic view of how much the land sector, including forests, can contribute to their climate targets as rising fires threaten their carbon sequestration potential.”

Calls to include wildfire emissions in national inventories

Climate Home News explained that wildfire emissions are currently excluded from most national greenhouse gas inventories.

It reported that under Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines, wildfires are treated as natural disturbances unless they cause permanent land-use change.

Hare said: “Twenty-five years ago, you could say wildfires were random and forests would regrow. Unfortunately, what we see now is that fires are becoming more frequent, along with drought and heat, and forests are not recovering. This is not an act of God.”

Hare added that countries should begin incorporating wildfire emissions into their climate planning.

Relevance for fire and safety professionals

The Climate Home News report highlights the increasing impact of wildfires on emissions and climate policy.

For fire and safety professionals, the findings underline the operational importance of wildfire prevention and suppression strategies.

The data also shows how escalating wildfire emissions may influence national resilience planning, resource allocation, and risk assessments for future fire seasons.

Understanding these developments is necessary for preparing both local fire services and international coordination frameworks.

Wildfire emissions in EU hit record levels in 2025: Summary

Wildfire emissions in the EU reached a record high in 2025.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed over one million hectares burned.

The fires released 38.37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Emissions are more than double the 20-year average.

Spain and Portugal recorded their worst fire season on record.

Seven people died and thousands were displaced.

Scientists warned of a feedback loop between climate change and wildfires.

The World Meteorological Organization said forests release stored carbon when burned.

Global wildfire emissions in 2023 and 2024 exceeded India’s annual emissions.

The EU raised its reliance on land sinks in its 2023 climate plan.

Bill Hare of Climate Analytics questioned if the EU could meet its targets.

Wildfire emissions are not currently included in national inventories.

IPCC guidelines treat them as natural disturbances unless land use changes.

Hare said fires are becoming more frequent and forests are not recovering.

He called for countries to account for wildfire emissions in climate planning.

Wildfire emissions surge across Canada and Europe in 2025

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Record emissions from Canadian wildfires monitored by CAMS

Wildfire emissions in Canada have remained well above the long-term average throughout June and July 2025, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

CAMS reported that wildfire intensity and emissions across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario have surpassed previous records in its 23-year dataset.

The organisation said emissions from these three provinces contributed to Canada’s cumulative wildfire carbon total of approximately 180 megatonnes as of the end of July.

CAMS said the scale and duration of the Canadian wildfire season has been unusual, with smoke transported long distances, reaching western, central and eastern Europe.

According to CAMS, British Columbia and Alberta recorded emissions significantly below average in July, while Northwest Territories produced slightly above-average emissions of around 18 megatonnes.

Southern US states and Alaska experience varying fire trends

Wildfires in southern US states also contributed to regional atmospheric impacts in July, CAMS data showed.

The Madre fire, which broke out in California on 2 July, was described by CAMS as the largest in the state in 2025, having burned 80,779 acres.

In Arizona, wildfire carbon emissions for July reached just under 1.5 megatonnes, which CAMS said was the highest total on record for the state for that month.

New Mexico’s wildfire emissions for July were the third highest recorded, behind only 2011 and 2003, CAMS noted.

Utah recorded emissions slightly above those seen in July 2024, at just over 0.8 megatonnes.

In Alaska, wildfires affected local air quality, although CAMS reported that emissions remained near the historical average at around 5.6 megatonnes.

Mediterranean wildfires break national records for emissions

In southern Europe, wildfires in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus during June and July led to several national emission records, according to CAMS.

Fires on the Greek island of Chios began on 22 June, contributing to the country’s highest June emissions since 2007.

In Turkey, emissions for June were the highest in CAMS records, with wildfires continuing into July and resulting in the highest cumulative emissions ever recorded in the country.

At least 10 forest workers were killed in Turkey during the second half of July. Two fatalities were reported in Cyprus, where wildfires led to record emissions after just two days of burning.

Joe McNorton, fire forecasting scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said:

“Probabilistic fire forecasts with the ECMWF SPARKY model have highlighted that the wildfires around the Mediterranean this summer have been the result of an abundance of fuel and severe weather conditions.

“Much drier conditions [are] driving the intensity of the fires.”

Wildfires expand across Balkans and southwestern Europe

CAMS reported increased wildfire activity in the Balkans, with Serbia and Albania each recording their second-highest emissions totals on record for July.

According to CAMS data, Serbia’s emissions were just over 0.05 megatonnes and Albania’s were around 0.07 megatonnes.

Emissions in Montenegro and North Macedonia were the third highest recorded for July in CAMS’ data.

In southwestern Europe, wildfires ignited in early July across southern France, Catalonia and Portugal.

CAMS noted that wildfires near Marseille resulted in evacuations, and similar action was taken in Catalonia, where fires were driven by hot, dry winds.

The wildfire situation continued into late July in Spain and Portugal, with firefighters working to control large-scale burns in northern Portugal and central Spain.

Wildfires in northern Scotland raise UK annual emissions

Northern Scotland experienced widespread wildfire activity at the end of June and start of July 2025, CAMS confirmed.

Fire Radiative Power (FRP) data from CAMS showed a sharp increase on 28, 29 and 30 June.

As a result, CAMS reported that the United Kingdom’s cumulative wildfire carbon emissions for 2025 reached their highest annual total in 23 years of records.

The fires in Scotland added to broader regional impacts from wildfire smoke across the North Atlantic, tracked through aerosol optical depth modelling by CAMS and the ECMWF.

CAMS said it continues to monitor global wildfire activity and its effect on air quality and atmospheric conditions.

Wildfire emissions surge across Canada and Europe in 2025: Summary

Wildfires in Canada have produced around 180 megatonnes of carbon emissions by the end of July 2025.

Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario reported their highest emissions on record.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires was transported across the Atlantic and reached multiple parts of Europe.

British Columbia, Alberta and Northwest Territories experienced lower emissions than in previous years.

In the US, Arizona and New Mexico recorded some of their highest ever emissions for July.

Wildfires in California burned more than 80,000 acres during the month.

Southern Europe reported record emissions in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

At least 12 people died as a result of wildfires in Turkey and Cyprus.

Wildfire emissions in Serbia and Albania were the second highest on record.

Fires in France, Spain and Portugal led to evacuations and continued into late July.

Wildfires in northern Scotland raised UK’s annual emissions to a record high in CAMS data.

Summer wildfire emissions in Europe highest for 15 years

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Carbon emissions from wildfires in the European Union and the United Kingdom for summer 2022 reached its highest levels since 2007, largely driven by emissions from wildfires in southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula in recent months, Copernicus has reported.

The August heatwave that hit western Europe, combined with prolonged dry conditions, saw increased levels of wildfire activity and intensity in the region ove the summer.

Wildfire activity in August contributed a total cumulative burnt area in the EU over the summer months (4 June to 3 Sept) of 508,260 hectares, compared to a 2006-2021 average of 215,548 hectares for the same period, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

The total cumulative burnt area in the EU from the start of the year to 3 September amounts to over 750,000 hectares, compared to an average of just over 260,000 hectares in 2006-2021.

This increased activity is also reflected in smoke emissions (including carbon gases, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds) from wildfires.

Data from the CAMS Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) shows that total wildfire emissions in the EU and the United Kingdom between 1 June and 31 August in 2022 are estimated at 6.4 megatonnes of carbon, the highest level since 2007.

In France as a whole, wildfires destroyed over 62,000 hectares from the start of the year to 3 September, six times the full-year average for 2006-2021, according to EFFIS data.

GFAS data show both France and Spain recording the highest carbon emissions from June to August since 2003. Comparing different years in the 20-year GFAS dataset helps to provide context for current fire emissions.

In other regions of Europe, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Germany saw significant wildfire activity. In Germany, the cumulative burnt area amounted to 4,293 hectares, almost double the previous maximum of 2,437 hectares and significantly higher than the 2006-2021 average of just over 330 hectares, according to EFFIS data.

CAMS Senior Scientist and wildfire expert Mark Parrington commented: “The scale and persistence of the fires in the southwest of Europe, leading to the highest emissions for Europe in 15 years, was extremely concerning throughout the summer.

“The majority of the fires occurred in places where the changing climate has increased flammability of the vegetation, such as in southwestern Europe, and as we have seen in other regions in other years. CAMS is now closely monitoring the current fire emissions and smoke transport in the Amazon region, and across South America, as the peak fire season approaches in the coming weeks.”