Wildfires: More Than 42,000 Hectares Already Burned in France

Paris – 24 July 2026: The extent of the wildfires in France can now also be shown in comparison with individual municipalities. An interactive map by franceinfo overlays the total area burned in mainland France since the beginning of the year onto the area of a selected municipality. It is based on regularly updated data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), which analyzes satellite imagery.

According to the latest available EFFIS data, more than 42,000 hectares had been affected by fire in France by mid-July. This corresponds to 420 square kilometers. This surpasses the previous high for this point in the year since the comparable EFFIS series began in 2006. The figures refer to fire areas detected by satellites and may still be revised retrospectively.

The situation remains particularly tense because new large fires could further increase the total. In Gironde, a fire spread near Lège-Cap-Ferret on 23 July. According to authorities and the Associated Press, more than 700 firefighters were deployed. Around 20,000 people were brought to safety from towns, holiday resorts and campsites along the Atlantic coast.

The fire near the Bassin d’Arcachon affected more than 31 square kilometers of forest and vegetation, according to initial reports. No injuries were initially reported. Emergency services also deployed firefighting aircraft. The Gironde prefecture said on Thursday that the fire was concentrated in the north of Lège, but was not yet fully under control.

The comparison map is intended to translate abstract hectare figures into a spatially understandable scale. Users can select their municipality and see how large the cumulatively burned area in France is in relation to the municipal area. According to franceinfo, the exact total area is adjusted every Wednesday after new EFFIS figures are published.

EFFIS is operated by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre as part of the Copernicus program. The system primarily records larger fires detectable by satellite. Very small fires may fall below the detection threshold. The figures are therefore particularly suitable for comparing developments in large burned areas over longer periods and across regions.

The season so far has been exacerbated by repeated heatwaves and very dry vegetation. In early July, the French government had already convened cross-ministerial crisis coordination because of numerous fires in the south. For authorities, prevention, access restrictions in at-risk forest areas and the rapid reporting of smoke or fire remain key measures to contain new large fires as early as possible.