102 million hectares has burned globally in 2025 - compare with the record years of 2012 and 2015

By June 1, 2025, over 100 million hectares of land had already burned globally. About half of that land was burned on the African continent. 

Our World in Data shows that 2012 and 2015 had the highest loss of forests world wide, with around 440 hectares burned each of those years. That compares to 388 million hectares in 2024, and almost 400 million in 2023. 

2019 and 2020 both saw over 400 million hectares destroyed by wildfire. 

Africa in the lead for forest fires 2025 - half of the world's wildfires

According to the statistics, by June 1, 2025, about a quarter of that had burned worldwide: 102 million hectares, with Africa accounting for half, with close to 53 million hectares burned the first half of 2025  on that continent alone.

In Asia, close to 20 million hectares burned, South Sudan almost 10 million, and Oceania and Australia also almost 10 million hectares each.

In the northern hemisphere, Russia, United States , Brazil and Canada are in the lead. 

(100 million hectares is roughly equivalent to 393 million square miles. It is also equivalent to 10 million square kilometers.  It is equivalent to 252 million acres. )

Our World in Data says about their indicator, that wildfires are detected through the use of satellite imagery obtained from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite). These satellite systems are capable of identifying thermal anomalies and alterations in landscape patterns, which are indicative of burning.

• The data provider is presently engaged in a global accuracy assessment and acknowledged that they might be underestimating the genuine impact of wildfires, primarily due to constraints imposed by the spatial resolution of the sensors they employ.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License 

Firefighter fighting a battle against a veld-fire at Ashton Bay, Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. 

26 March 2017, 16:22:32

Author: StevenTerblanche

The Guardian wrote on May 21, 2025 that tropical forest loss surged to record levels in 2024, with 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest destroyed—nearly double the previous year’s loss. For the first time, wildfires surpassed agriculture and logging as the leading cause of deforestation, according to new data from the World Resources Institute (WRI).

The Amazon rainforest and Bolivia’s forests were among the hardest hit, with Brazil alone accounting for 42% of total tropical forest loss. Extreme drought conditions fuelled the fires, creating a climate-change feedback loop that made forests more flammable. Experts warn that this trend signals a “global red alert”, with devastating consequences for biodiversity and carbon storage.

The report highlights the urgent need for stronger conservation policies and international cooperation to combat deforestation and mitigate climate change.

Rainforest loss in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Congo-Brazzaville also reached unprecedented levels, marking a new record in deforestation. These nations host the Congo Basin rainforest, the second-largest tropical forest in the world, after the Amazon. 

UK forest burned more than national average already by end of April, 2025

The BBC wrote on April 26 that wildfires had already scorched more land in the UK this year than in any other year over the past decade, according to satellite data.

By then, over 29,200 hectares (292 sq km or 113 sq miles) have been burned, surpassing the previous record of 28,100 hectares set in 2019, according to the Global Wildfire Information System, which has been tracking wildfire damage since 2012.

Experts attribute the increased fire activity to extended dry and sunny conditions in March and early April, which created ideal burning conditions across the country. 

Canadian forest fires burned about a third compared to 2023

Although provinces like Manitoba and Saskatchewan experience record breaking fires for their own regions, overall the situation was three times worse back in the beginning of June in 2023. 

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, 3,1 million hectares had burned in Canada by June 8, 2025. That is 31,000 m2, or 12,000 square miles. 

Two years ago,, by June 8, 2023, wildfires in Canada had already burned over approximately 9.9 million acres (40,000 square kilometers ), making it the fourth-worst wildfire season on record at that time.

By the end of 2023, Canada had experienced its most destructive wildfire season ever, with over 45.7 million acres burned—more than six times the long-term average.

Heatwaves the new normal

In a new study published in the journal Earth's Future, researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden, together with Belgian, French and German universities have shown that in the near future several regions of the world will no longer just be affected by isolated climate-related events.

It warns that heat waves, droughts, and forest fires will not only become more frequent but will increasingly strike simultaneously in many regions worldwide. Researchers analyzed climate models and found that multiple extreme events will become the new normal, particularly in areas with dense vegetation.

The study, published in Earth’s Future, highlights that regions such as the Mediterranean, Latin America, and the Nordic countries will experience more frequent combinations of heat waves and wildfires. The findings suggest a paradigm shift, where isolated climate disasters will be replaced by back-to-back or concurrent events, amplifying their impact on ecosystems and human societies.

Lead researcher Professor Gabriele Messori emphasized the urgency of adapting to this reality: “We have long known that there will be more heatwaves, forest fires, and severe droughts in many regions. What surprised us is that the increase is so large that we see a clear paradigm shift with multiple coinciding extreme events becoming the new normal.”

For more details, read the full study on Uppsala University’s website.