2026 will be the record year in history for the number of fires

Scientists warn: unprecedented heat waves. And such high temperatures favor wildfires.

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According to data from the first few months, the 2026 It will be the worst year in history for the number of fires.

According to analyses by the scientific group World Weather Attribution, between January and April 2026, more than 150 million hectares globally: approximately 20% more than the previous record and more than 50% above the average of recent years.

The areas most affected so far are:

  • much of sub-Saharan Africa;
  • Asia (India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Laos);
  • South America;
  • several regions of the USA, Canada and Australia are entering the critical season.

In Africa alone, approximately 85 million hectares, the highest figure ever recorded for this time of year, 23 percent higher than the previous record. The hardest-hit areas include West and Southern Africa, with particularly intense fires in countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, and South Africa.

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In Asia, the first months of 2026 were marked primarily by a severe fire and smog crisis in South and Southeast Asia, exacerbated by extreme heat and drought. The result: 44 million hectares burned, 40 percent more than the previous record set in 2014. 

The most affected areas were:

  • Northern Thailand
  • Myanmar
  • Laos
  • Northeast India
  • part of southern China

As for Europe, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), By the end of March 2026, around 54 hectares had already burned in the EU: more than the historical average for that time of year.

The most affected countries at the beginning of 2026 were:

  • Spain;
  • Southern France;
  • Portugal;
  • some areas of Italy and Greece.

But what are the main causes of the record increase in fires worldwide? The main cause is the global rise in temperatures, with strong climatic variations:

  1. very rainy months in 2025 caused enormous amounts of grass and vegetation to grow;
  2. then, in early 2026, much warmer and drier conditions arrived;
  3. All that vegetation was transformed into “fuel” for the fires. 

Scientists explain that this “very wet-very dry” pattern has become more frequent with global warming. Furthermore, the return of El Niño The risk of drought and heat waves is increasing in many African regions. 

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