(MENAFN) Nearly 100,000 hectares of land in Spain have already been ravaged by wildfires this year, according to European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) data released Wednesday. As of midday, 199 forest fires had scorched a total of 98,784 hectares across the country in 2025, EFE reported. This represents more than double the area burned during the same period last year, when 42,615 hectares were lost across 219 fires.

The devastation in 2025 has already surpassed the total land burned in all of 2024, which stood at just under 60,000 hectares, according to EFFIS figures. Despite the high number of wildfires, this year’s fire count is comparable to 2023, when 91,220 hectares were consumed in 371 incidents. However, the most catastrophic year for wildfires remains 2022, when by mid-August, 306,555 hectares were destroyed in 493 fires.

Currently, several regions across Spain are grappling with multiple ongoing blazes, worsened by the nation’s second heatwave of the summer. Temperatures in some areas have surged to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), amplifying the already perilous, dry conditions.

EFFIS data continues to highlight the escalating intensity of Spain’s wildfire seasons, with climate change driving hotter and drier summers that further increase the vulnerability of forests.

Authorities have warned that extreme heat, combined with low humidity and strong winds, could lead to more outbreaks in the coming days, especially in rural and mountainous regions. Emergency teams are working relentlessly to control the active fires, while officials have urged the public to remain vigilant and take precautions to prevent additional ignitions during this high-risk period.

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