Annual area burnt by wildfires in France

France: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 99,092 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
99,092 hectares
Change on year
up 250.3%
World rank
65th
of 248 countries
All-time high
99,092 hectares
in 2026
All-time low
11,100 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual area burnt by wildfires in France, 2012–2026

20.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2012201920262012: 54.7k hectares2013: 12.4k hectares2014: 40.9k hectares2015: 33.2k hectares2016: 30.0k hectares2017: 73.0k hectares2018: 11.1k hectares2019: 92.5k hectares2020: 31.4k hectares2021: 37.1k hectares2022: 96.2k hectares2023: 35.0k hectares2024: 12.6k hectares2025: 28.3k hectares2026: 99.1k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2026, annual area burnt by wildfires in France stood at 99,092 hectares. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 250.3% on the previous year and up 229.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in France peaked at 99,092 hectares in 2026 and was at its lowest, 11,100 hectares, in 2018.

France ranks 65th of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 43,464 hectares 11,100 hectares 92,497 hectares 8
2020s 48,526 hectares 12,644 hectares 99,092 hectares 7

Countries ranked near France

  1. 62 Iran 123,227 hectares compare
  2. 63 Gabon 110,425 hectares compare
  3. 64 Algeria 101,770 hectares compare
  4. 66 Costa Rica 98,035 hectares compare
  5. 67 Gambia 97,664 hectares compare
  6. 68 Niger 87,000 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires in France?
Annual area burnt by wildfires in France was 99,092 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 99,092 hectares in 2026.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 11,100 hectares in 2018.
How does France rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
France ranks 65th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 229.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual area burnt by wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Annual area burnt by wildfires
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 3,720 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.