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The number of hectares of forest burned in France between 2008 and 2025 amounts to more than 22,000, or over 2,300 km2. This is equivalent to the area of the Yvelines department.

Global warming: forest fires are multiplying in France and Europe

More than one and a half times the area of Paris was destroyed by flames in Gironde, a region in the southwest of France, in July 2022. A direct consequence of global warming, forest fires continue to multiply in Europe. In France, the number of at-risk regions is increasing: the southeast and southwest are already included, while the center and west of France will become so. If these fires continue in France and worldwide, it is due to rising temperatures on one hand and relatively low humidity levels on the other. Wind also plays a role. The intensity and frequency of droughts are likely to increase in the coming years.

Increasingly destructive fires, now called megafires

While the number of forest fires has only slightly increased since 2015, the burned areas are growing much faster because the fires are more destructive. Indeed, comparing the years 2019 and 2022, the figures are striking: in 2019, there were just over 300 forest fires, with 44,000 hectares burned. In 2022, the number of fires was lower, but the number of hectares burned exceeded 66,000 (an increase of 41 percent). These megafires have disastrous consequences on the environment since the fire releases greenhouse gases into the air, further worsening global warming.