Europe has recorded around 5.4 million hectares of wildfire-affected area so far in 2026, a new record low, according to the Global Wildfire Information System.
EnvironmentEuropean Union
- Omissions
- The EU's official 2026 wildfire-affected area (about 668,000 ha as of 16 September 2026 per EFFIS/JRC; ~0.75 million ha year-to-date estimate) is roughly one-eighth of the 5.4 million hectares claimed.
- The claim characterises 2026 as a 'new record low', but independent reporting based on GWIS/Our World in Data shows 2026 ranked fourth in the EU for cumulative area burnt by wildfires — i.e. among the worst years, not the lowest.
- The stated value of 5.4 million hectares does not appear in any official European source; the GWIS European burned-area dataset is produced by EFFIS, whose published figures are far lower.
- Scope caveat: the claim says 'Europe' while the extractor normalised the scope to the European Union; even taking the broadest European coverage used by EFFIS, the official figures do not approach 5.4 million hectares.
- The EFFIS 'current situation' figure is dated 16 September 2026, one day after the session date of 15 September 2026; the MEP could not have known this exact figure, although the period and order of magnitude are the same.