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In the United States, the Cottonwood Fire in Utah destroyed no fewer than 150 structures. In Colorado, the Aspen Acres mega-fire ravaged several hundred buildings, including at least 270 homes.
In Canada, from June through late August 2026, 4 793 wildfires devastated more than 4.1 million hectares. This event put the entire country on high alert. The fires in mid-July in northwestern Ontario caused significant damage and forced the evacuation of several communities.
In South America, as early as 16 January 2026, no fewer than 75 fires destroyed 46 000 hectares and severely damaged 2 359 homes in Chile where the death toll stood at 21, with more than 50 600 people evacuated.
In Argentina, the “Puerto Café” fire on 5 January 2026 which broke out in the middle of the tourist season in the province of Chubut, required the evacuation of more than 3 000 tourists, destroying more than 60 000 hectares. The fire was not brought under control until late March.
In Europe, the 2026 wildfire season was particularly intense. By mid-September, 678 978 hectares had already burned in the European Union, nearly double the average for the past 20 years, which stands at 355 397 hectares.
- In France, more than 115 000 hectares have burned since January 2026. The fire in the Gironde region, which destroyed approximately 42 000 hectares, is considered the largest wildfire the country has experienced since 1949. Initial estimates from France Assureurs indicate that 25 000 claims were reported with an insured cost of nearly 500 million EUR.
- In Spain, 194 000 hectares have gone up in smoke, nearly six times more than in 2025 at the same date.
- In Portugal, by 31 July 2026, the country had recorded a total of 53 700 hectares burned, with more than 15 000 firefighters mobilized.
- In Greece, by the end of August 2026, 632 169 hectares had been destroyed more than double the average recorded over the past 20 years. Among the major incidents was the 31 July fire near Athens, which ravaged 11 100 hectares.
An analysis by the Financial Times estimates that the 2026 wildfires across all European countries resulted in economic losses totaling 3.59 billion USD.
In Australia, a state of natural disaster was declared in more than 18 areas of the state of Victoria, where 400 000 hectares were destroyed and 300 homes were burned to the ground. Insured losses amounted to 578 million USD.
