Wildfires devastating richer areas but fewer hectares burned globally
‘Megafires’ in California, Canada, South Korea and Europe in 2025, but changes to farming slowed spread in parts of Africa
TL;DR
- Wealthier parts of the world experienced devastating wildfires in 2025, including in California, Canada, Europe, and South Korea.
- Globally, the area ravaged by flames fell to the second-lowest since 2002, partly due to expanded African farms fragmenting landscapes.
- The UK broke its record for burned area with a Scottish 'megafire', while Los Angeles saw some of its most destructive fires.
- Record-breaking blazes in Spain and Portugal, and South Korea's biggest wildfire season on record also occurred.
- Fires accounted for over 38% of insured losses from weather disasters in 2025.
- Global heating is creating conditions that increase fire spread and danger at the wildland-urban interface.
- Adverse weather, exacerbated by carbon pollution, turned some fires into explosive infernos.
- Drought and extreme heat drove severe blazes in the Mediterranean.
- The overall reduction in global burned area led to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions.
- Canada recorded extreme wildfire emissions for the third consecutive year, with significant CO2 release since 2023.
- Pollutants in wildfire smoke lead to widespread deaths from breathing dirty air, with Canadian wildfires in 2023 killing an estimated 82,000 people.
- A few extreme fires can dominate the consequences of an entire fire season.
- Climate change increases the likelihood of extreme fire-weather conditions, and fuel accumulation makes landscapes more vulnerable.