Wildfires in 2026: Russia, Brazil and Canada among countries with most land burned

Main points

• Russia, Brazil and Canada are among the countries with the largest reported burned areas.
• Canada recorded approximately 4.5 million hectares burned by October 15.
• Spain accounted for about 43% of the EU's burned area by October 21.

Wildfires have burned vast areas of forest and other vegetation across the world this year, with Russia recording 6.2 million hectares, Brazil 4.5 million and Canada 4.1 million as of October 15, according to figures compiled by World Visualized.

The United States followed with 3.6 million hectares, while Spain led the European countries featured in the graphic with approximately 301,000 hectares burned.

However, the figures come from different national and international monitoring systems, making direct comparisons difficult.

Canada's government reported on October 15 that more than 5,400 wildfires had burned approximately 4.5 million hectares nationwide, exceeding the 4.1 million hectares shown in the graphic. The fires forced more than 33,750 people to evacuate their homes, including over 8,800 people from First Nations communities.

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Russia has also faced widespread fires, particularly in its remote forest regions. Its aerial forest protection agency, Avialesookhrana, reported continued firefighting operations in October, although its published updates do not independently confirm the infographic's cumulative 6.2-million-hectare figure.

In Europe, Spain accounted for a large share of the land burned in 2026. Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) showed that approximately 301,413 hectares had burned in Spain by October 21, representing about 43% of the European Union's total.

Across the EU, nearly 700,000 hectares had burned by late October, above the long-term average but below the record levels recorded in 2025. France, Italy, Portugal and Greece also experienced significant wildfire activity.

The fires have increased pressure on emergency services and threatened communities, infrastructure and wildlife habitats. Copernicus said Europe's unusually hot and dry summer created favourable conditions for fires to spread, including in areas where major wildfires have historically been less common.

The figures underline the scale of the 2026 wildfire season, although the final global picture will depend on updated national reports and consistent satellite-based estimates.