In the summer of 2026 there were more fires, more hectares burned, more victims and more evacuated towns than in the previous year.

Error detected

The claim that 2026 saw 'more hectares' burned than 2025 is contradicted by the EFFIS/JRC data, which shows the 2026 burnt area was below the same-date 2025 figure.

The assertion of 'more victims' and 'more evacuated towns' than 2025 is not supported by any source found.

Omissions

• The claim bundles several metrics (number of fires, hectares, victims, evacuated towns, biodiversity loss) but only the burnt-area metric could be verified; no data was found on the 2026-vs-2025 change in the number of fires, victims or evacuations.
• A secondary source (EUobserver) reported at an earlier point in the season that 2026 was running above the 2025 record for the EU (at around 529,192 ha), which contrasts with the later JRC/EFFIS figure (668,035 ha as of 16 September 2026) that is below 2025 for the same date — the mid-season peak did not hold for the whole season.
• 2026 was nevertheless a severe fire season (668,035 ha burnt in Europe by mid-September, well above the historical average), even if below the record 2025 total; the claim's rhetorical framing ignores that 2025 was an exceptional record year.
• The JRC/EFFIS source measures 'Europe' (including non-EU countries), whereas the claim's stated scope is the European Union; the EU-specific cumulative comparison for mid-September 2026 was not located in a primary source.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Joint Research Centre (EFFIS): Current wildfire situation in EuropeAs of 16 September 2026, the area affected by fires has reached 668 035 hectares. This is below the area recorded by the same date in 2025 (the worst year ...).
• PrimaryCopernicus Climate Change Service – ESOTC 2025, WildfiresEurope as a whole saw a new record for burnt areas in 2025, at 1,034,552 hectares, surpassing the previous record of around 988,524 hectares set in 2017.
• SecondaryEUobserver – Europe's 2026 wildfires show the cost of ignoring preventionMore than 529,192 hectares have already burned across the European Union this year, putting 2026 above the 2025 record for the same period.