Vast areas devoured by fire… France records 11,000 fires during 2026
declared Today, the number There have been about 11,000 fires recorded in the country since the beginning of this year, indicating that the areas consumed by fire until mid-July exceeded the total of the entire last season, after the fires affected about 35,000 hectares (equivalent to approximately 350 square kilometers).
This was stated by the Director General of Civil Protection, Julien Marion, during an inspection visit conducted by French President Emmanuel Macron to a forest. "Fontainebleau"where Marion explained that recording "Approximately 11 thousand Marion pointed out the seriousness of the field situation, saying: "Despite efforts, there are currently three major fires, each exceeding 1,000 hectares in area"Certainly, this is an exceptional situation "It imposes a wide and complex distribution of available means and capabilities, which represents a logistical and operational challenge in itself" In a worrying indication of the expansion of drought and climate change, the risk of fires is no longer limited to the southern regions of France. About 50 French departments were included in the updated list of forests and forest areas classified as being at risk from fires, including regions located in the center and north, such as "Côte d’Armor" and"Sin et Marne" It is noteworthy that – according to data from the National Forestry Office – the summer of 2025 witnessed the recording of about 15,000 fire spots in France, which in total destroyed 30,000 hectares of forests and vegetation, a number that was surpassed by the fires of the current year (2026) by mid-summer only.Fires in France
