The consequences of Europe’s dry summer continue to emerge as “exceptional” wildfire activity draws on the union’s combined resources.

In another week of high temperatures and little prospect of rain, extreme conditions continue over southern United Kingdom and have expanded over northwestern France, extending through the Alps and into the Balkans.

An estimated 542,926 hectares (1,341,599 acres) have burned throughout the region since the beginning of 2026, according to the European Union’s “Current Wildfire Situation in Europe” report on Aug. 10. This year’s burned area total is just below the record-breaking fire year of 2025, when wildfires burned 631,119 hectares (1,559,529 acres) by the same date even though the 2026’s burned area total briefly eclipsed 2025’s numbers between July 22 and Aug. 9.

Last year – 2025 – was the worst year on record in Europe, and while 2026 is tracking slightly less it still well exceeds the long-term average of the last 20 years (see the blue line on graph below).

A recent research report released by the EU’s Climate Change Service determined that chronically dry conditions across western and central Europe were conducive to the exceptional wildfire activity, fueled by abundant dried biomass after a wet winter and early spring.

“In France, fires in the Gironde region burned nearly 42,000 ha, the largest area on record for France in the European Forest Fire Information System of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service,” researchers said in the report. “Spain also saw multiple fires, especially in central and eastern regions.”

Daily wildfire emissions were at record levels in France for July 24, according to the report. The nation’s annual total was already the highest ever by the end of July, while Spain ranked its second-highest emissions total ever, behind 2022.

The EU has assembled and deployed an estimated 777 firefighters from 14 countries to support communities where the wildfires are burning. They’re primarily stationed in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus and stand ready to support brigades if fires overwhelm local resources.”