Fire Radar  ›  Biggest fires since 2012

The biggest wildfires since 2012

This page does not show where it is burning now — it shows where it has burned. 18 267 large fire outlines from satellite measurement, since January 8, 2012, from Europe and the Mediterranean. Click any row and the map jumps there.

The world’s fires — on the map

By default the map shows burned areas — what has actually burned stays on the map. The hotspot replay can be switched on: 46 days of detections spin through, from California to Australia. (Burned-area outlines are measured for the EFFIS region — Europe and its surroundings; the hotspots cover the whole world.)

wheel: zoom · drag: pan
… speed:
detections that day: – total in the replay: 9 943 495 source: NASA FIRMS · own collection, 46 days

Europe’s big fires since 2012

recorded fires18 267
total burned area19 639 210 ha
largest single fire82 210 ha
data starts2012-01-08

The 60 largest fires — click a row and the map jumps there

The outlines of the 60 largest fires, at true scale. Zoom into any of them — this is the scale where the size really shows.

#burned areamikorholcountry
1.82 210 haAugust 19, 2023AlexandroupoliGreece
2.66 098 haJuly 22, 2026El TiembloSpain
3.64 721 haAugust 10, 2025LorigaPortugal
4.51 920 haAugust 3, 2021LímniGreece
5.48 140 haAugust 7, 2026BerrocalSpain
6.47 910 haJuly 22, 2026Le PorgeFrance
7.37 764 haAugust 13, 2022TumaRussia
8.36 742 haSeptember 14, 2024Castro DairePortugal
9.36 092 haAugust 8, 2025ManzanedaSpain
10.33 579 haAugust 14, 2025O Barco de ValdeorrasSpain
11.33 388 haAugust 7, 2016AroucaPortugal
12.33 298 haJuly 28, 2021ManavgatTurkey
13.31 819 haAugust 10, 2025SernancelhePortugal
14.31 628 haJuly 18, 2026BustaresSpain
15.30 227 haApril 3, 2020KrasiatychiUkraine
16.29 439 haAugust 15, 2025PortoSpain
17.26 774 haAugust 9, 2021’Aïn el Hammam (’Ain el Hammam)Algeria
18.26 389 haAugust 4, 2012ArrisAlgeria
19.26 311 haAugust 9, 2025Castrillo de CabreraSpain
20.26 230 haJune 28, 2012Dos AguasSpain
21.26 047 haAugust 29, 2015KösreliTurkey
22.25 621 haAugust 14, 2025Boca de HuérganoSpain
23.25 082 haApril 16, 2020KvartsytneUkraine
24.23 097 haAugust 13, 2025CualedroSpain
25.22 873 haAugust 3, 2018MonchiquePortugal
26.21 989 haAugust 13, 2025NavaconcejoSpain
27.20 933 haAugust 24, 2012KösreliTurkey
28.20 462 haAugust 14, 2021SotalboSpain
29.20 433 haJuly 23, 2017Mação (Macao)Portugal
30.19 670 haJuly 2, 2026ÁguedaPortugal
31.19 619 haJune 16, 2022VillardeciervosSpain
32.19 518 haSeptember 15, 2024Albergaria-a-VelhaPortugal
33.19 289 haAugust 10, 2026Santa Cruz de la SerósSpain
34.18 419 haJuly 31, 2026VíliaGreece
35.18 368 haAugust 6, 2022ManteigasPortugal
36.17 976 haAugust 23, 2013MustafabeyliTurkey
37.17 976 haJuly 18, 2023LárdosGreece
38.17 703 haJuly 28, 2021Nikšić (Niksic)Montenegro
39.17 610 haJuly 14, 2022O IncioSpain
40.17 405 haJuly 29, 2021Gündoğmuş (Gundogmus)Turkey
41.17 104 haJuly 18, 2012São Brás de Alportel (Sao Bras de Alportel)Portugal
42.16 725 haAugust 31, 2014
43.16 558 haJuly 12, 2022Cabanac-et-VillagrainsFrance
44.16 417 haJune 29, 2012AlcublasSpain
45.16 337 haAugust 16, 2023La OrotavaSpain
46.16 155 haAugust 3, 2021Muğla (Mugla)Turkey
47.15 569 haJuly 31, 2021KaraovaTurkey
48.15 380 haJuly 28, 2026Valpaços (Valpacos)Portugal
49.15 015 haJuly 31, 2014Ramnäs (Ramnas)Sweden
50.15 001 haMay 18, 2023Torrecilla de los ÁngelesSpain
51.14 861 haAugust 15, 2022Sacañet (Sacanet)Spain
52.14 845 haSeptember 19, 2021MazoSpain
53.14 479 haAugust 13, 2022Vall de GallineraSpain
54.14 379 haJuly 13, 2022Ksar El KebirMorocco
55.14 082 haJuly 18, 2026AnnabaAlgeria
56.13 736 haAugust 9, 2012Tarhit Ouled HellalAlgeria
57.13 597 haJune 18, 2017AvelarPortugal
58.13 459 haJuly 21, 2026SebdouAlgeria
59.13 370 haJuly 25, 2026ArtanaSpain
60.13 249 haJuly 11, 2022MonsagroSpain

Which year burned the most?

The area of all fires above 500 hectares, summed per year. The 2026 bar is the season in progress, so it will still grow.

1769e
12
773e
13
1353e
14
1695e
15
1070e
16
1937e
17
650e
18
1478e
19
1474e
20
1172e
21
1099e
22
647e
23
1094e
24
1433e
25
1996e
26

Which country burned the most?

countrynumber of firesburned area
Russia48863 982 094 ha
Ukraine33952 910 832 ha
Turkey17311 954 841 ha
Spain8571 731 612 ha
Algeria10501 350 709 ha
Portugal5941 234 048 ha
Irak831735 835 ha
Italy661664 384 ha
Greece308625 552 ha
Bosnia and Herzegovina397519 583 ha
Romania562459 323 ha
Syria414411 498 ha
Albania288382 491 ha
France196308 424 ha
← Live wildfire map — where is it burning now?

Frequently asked questions

What was the biggest wildfire in Europe?

According to satellite measurement, the largest contiguous burned area since 2012 was 82 210 ha in Greece, in the Alexandroupoli area, on August 19, 2023 — roughly 822 square kilometers.

How far back does this list go?

January 8, 2012 — that is when Copernicus EFFIS began publishing satellite burned-area outlines with a consistent method. Anything older — like the 2007 Greek season — has no comparable measurement, so it is not listed here.

Why do the numbers differ from what the news says?

Because they measure different things. News reports often quote an estimated damage area for a whole region; here you see the satellite-measured extent of ONE contiguous burn scar. A big fire can consist of several scars, and the outlining method also affects the final number.

How big is 10,000 hectares?

100 square kilometers — a 10×10 km square, roughly the area of a mid-size European city. The fires at the top of this list burned several times that.

Where is the data from, and can I reuse it?

From the Copernicus Emergency Management Service / EFFIS, under the CC BY 4.0 license — free to reuse, including commercially, with attribution. Place names were reverse-looked-up from the GeoNames database (CC BY 4.0).

What this page shows, and what it does not. The numbers come from Copernicus EFFIS satellite outlining: the measured extent of a contiguous burn scar. This is not the same as estimated damage areas quoted in the news, and fires before 2012 are not included — there is no comparable measurement for them. The 2026 season is in progress.

Data source. © European Union, Copernicus Emergency Management Service — EFFIS/GWIS (CC BY 4.0). Place names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), reverse-looked-up from coordinates. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors © Protomaps, from our own EU tile servers.

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