More than 1 million hectares burned across the EU in 2025, the highest figure ever recorded.

Omissions

• The specific figure of 19 requests for assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in 2025 could not be directly corroborated in the sources retrieved, although the European Commission confirmed a record number of wildfire-related activations for the year.
• Scope nuance: the Copernicus ESOTC figure of 1,034,552 ha refers to 'Europe as a whole', while EFFIS/JRC put the EU-only burnt area at roughly 1.08–1.09 million hectares; the total across all territories analysed by EFFIS (including non-EU European countries and MENA) reached 2,242,195 ha.
• The claim correctly identifies 2025 as the highest on record, exceeding the previous 2017 record of ~988,524 ha.

Sources

• PrimaryCopernicus Climate Change Service — European State of the Climate 2025 (Wildfires)Europe 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.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) — '2025 was EU's most destructive wildfire season on record'In total, 2 242 195 hectares were burnt across all the territories analysed by EFFIS in 2025. In particular, fire destroyed 1 092 095 hectares [within the EU].
• PrimaryEuropean Commission DG ECHO (EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid) — 'Record number of wildfires in 2025 calls for stronger EU action'The European Union experienced its most devastating wildfire season on record in 2025, with over 1 million hectares of land burnt – an area roughly equivalent to Cyprus.