GENEVA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- More than 434,000 hectares have already burned across Europe this year, according to the latest available data, said the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Thursday.
Devastating fires in the Gironde region of France destroyed around 42,000 hectares of pine forest, and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents and tourists.
Spain has experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons in decades, with more than 200,000 hectares burned, twice its historical annual average, according to a press release of UNECE.
The European Union warned on Wednesday that the wildfire crisis is moving eastwards, with Greece and Italy expected to face increasing danger as the heatwave, drought and strong winds will continue into early August.
Across the Atlantic, the situation is equally alarming. The United States has recorded approximately 1,849,000 hectares burned so far in 2026, while Canada has already experienced more than 4,000 wildfires that have already burned 3,770,000 hectares, with dozens of large fires still out of control.
"Every summer reminds us that wildfire is no longer an exceptional event but an increasingly predictable consequence of a warming climate," said Paola Deda, director of the UNECE Environment and Forests Division. "While emergency response remains essential, our greatest opportunity lies in prevention, sustainable forest management and building more resilient landscapes and communities."
As wildfires continue to rage across Europe and North America, destroying forests, threatening communities and releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, the 2026 fire season is once again demonstrating that while many fires cannot be stopped once they reach full intensity, much more can be done to prevent future disasters, said the UNECE.
Wildfires threaten lives, destroy homes, infrastructure and livelihoods, and force entire communities to evacuate. Their impacts extend far beyond the fire perimeter. Smoke can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, degrading air quality and increasing respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses far from the flames.
Climate change drives more frequent and intense wildfires, while the massive carbon emissions from these fires further accelerate global warming, creating a dangerous feedback loop that worsens both problems.
The economic consequences are equally significant. In the European Union alone, wildfires are estimated to cost around 2.5 billion euros (2.88 billion U.S. dollars) every year, through damage to infrastructure, loss of tourism revenue and disruption of economic activity. Yet these estimates capture only part of the picture.
About nine out of ten wildfires are caused by human activity, the UN organization headquartered in Geneva warned, making prevention through public awareness, regulations, and sustainable forest management --encompassing risk assessment, early detection, and post-fire restoration--essential to reducing fire risk. ■
