The latest data confirms what we’ve long feared: Forest fires are becoming more widespread and destructive around the globe. Updated data from researchers at the University of Maryland shows that between 2001 and 2025 forest fires now burn over twice as much tree cover each year as they did two decades ago, and more than three times as much in the tropics.1 How We Measure Tree Cover Loss from Fires[Read more]Researchers at the University of Maryland used Landsat satellite imagery to map the area of tree cover lost to stand-replacing forest fires (fires that kill all or most of the living overstory in a forest) each year from 2001 to 2025. While stand-replacing fires do not always result in permanent forest loss, they can cause long-term changes to forest structure and soil chemistry, making them different from lower intensity understory fires that provide ecological benefits for some forests.The latest data provides a long-term view of these types of fires over the last 25 years at a higher spatial resolution than other global burned area datasets. It also helps researchers distinguish the impact of tree cover loss from fires and other drivers like agriculture and forestry. Learn more about the data on Global Nature Watch (formerly Global Forest Watch).The latest data confirms what we’ve long feared: Forest fires are becoming more widespread and destructive around the globe. Using data from researchers at the University of Maryland, recently updated to cover the years 2001-2024, we calculated that forest fires now burn more than twice as much tree cover each year as they did two decades ago.1This increased fire activity has been starkly visible in recent years. Record-setting blazes are becoming the norm, with four of the five worst years for global forest fires occurring since 2021. As fires worsen — including in historically low-risk areas, like rainforests — they are becoming an increasingly prevalent driver of global forest loss. Globally, fires accounted for roughly 43% of all tree cover loss each year between 2023 and 2025. This marks a sharp rise from 2001 to 2022, when fires accounted for an average of about 27% per year. Coupled with other persistent drivers, like agriculture and logging, this is part of the reason forest loss remains stubbornly high, despite countries’ promises to combat it.. And record fires seem to be a new normal. 2024 was the most extreme year for forest fires since our data began in 2001, surpassing the previous record set in 2023. But fires continued to be a major driver of tree cover loss in 2025, ranking third behind those two back-to-back record years.North America saw extreme fires in 2025. In January, Los Angeles experienced large fires rarely seen that time of year. Canada had its second-worst fire season since 2001, behind only 2023. It was also the most destructive wildfire season on record for the European Union and the worst wildfire season on record in South Korea.These fires aren’t just impacting the world’s forests. They’ve destroyed homes and infrastructure, polluted drinking water and caused billions of dollars in property damage. Dangerous wildfire smoke is estimated to cause more than 1.5 million deaths each year. As fires worsen, so do their impacts, underscoring the urgency of stronger prevention and response.Here, we unpack what’s behind these concerning trends and examine some of the places most impacted by increasing forest fires.Climate Change Is Making Fires WorseClimate change is one of the major drivers behind increasing fire activity. Extreme heat waves are already five times more likely today than they were 150 years ago and are expected to become even more frequent as the planet continues to warm. Hotter temperatures dry out the landscape and help create the perfect environment for larger, more frequent forest fires.When forests burn, they release carbon that is stored in the trunks, branches and leaves of trees, as well as carbon stored underground in the soil. As forest fires become larger and happen more often, they emit more carbon, further exacerbating climate change and contributing to more fires as part of a fire-climate feedback loop. This feedback loop, combined with the expansion of human activities into forested areas, is driving much of the increase in fire activity we see today. As climate-fueled forest fires burn larger areas, they will affect more people and impact the global economy. Climate-Driven Fires Are Reshaping Boreal ForestsMore than 60% of all fire-related tree cover loss between 2001 and 2025 occurred in boreal regions. Though fire is a natural part of how boreal forests function ecologically, fire-related tree cover loss in these areas has risen rapidly, increasing by about 171,400 hectares per year over the last 25 years.Climate change is the main reason for this. High northern latitudes, home to much of the world’s boreal forest, are warming at a faster rate than the rest of the planet, contributing to longer fire seasons and more frequent droughts. Together, these conditions are driving greater fire frequency and severity and larger burned areas in boreal forests. For example, over the last three years, Canada has experienced its three worst fire seasons since 2001. In 2023, the worst of the three years, record-breaking wildfires burned almost 7.8 million hectares of forest; about six times the country’s annual average for 2001 to 2022, spewing large amounts of carbon dioxide. The flames were largely fueled by warmer-than-average temperatures and drought conditions, with some parts of the country experiencing temperatures up to 10 degrees C (18 degrees F) above normal. Fire activity remained high in 2024 and 2025, averaging 4.8 million hectares of forest burned per year, more than three times the average from 2001 to 2022. Similarly, in Russia, the three worst fire seasons since 2001 occurred in the last six years. 2021 was the most severe, with 5.4 million hectares of tree cover burned, driven largely by extreme heat and dry conditions that summer. Likewise, large fires in 2020, the third-worst year, were driven by prolonged heat that would have been almost impossible without human-induced climate change. This trend is worrying for several reasons. Boreal forests store 30% to 40% of all land-based carbon, making them critical climate stabilizers. Most of this carbon is stored underground, including in permafrost, and has historically been protected from the infrequent and milder fires that occur naturally. But changes in climate and fire activity are melting permafrost and making soil carbon more vulnerable to burning.In addition, severe fires can drastically alter the structure of boreal forests — effectively eliminating species like black spruce, which normally dominate the landscape, allowing deciduous trees to take their place. Such changes could have wide-ranging impacts on biodiversity, soil dynamics, fire behavior, and carbon sequestration. In some extreme cases, trees may fail to regrow at all.These shifting forest dynamics could eventually turn boreal forests from a carbon sink (an area that absorbs more carbon than it emits) into a source of carbon emissions. In fact, recent research shows that boreal forests are already losing their ability to store carbon. Firefighters put out the remains of a blaze in Alberta, Canada, in July 2024. Canada’s 2023 wildfire season burned six times as much forest area as the 2001 to 2022 annual average, and the summer of 2026 indicated the start of another intense fire season. Xinhua/Alamy Stock Photo Agriculture and Forest Degradation Stoke Fires in the TropicsUnlike boreal forests, tropical rainforests have historically been protected from fire by heavy rainfall and are not adapted to withstand it. Stand-replacing fires are not a usual part of the ecological cycle in these regions. Yet fires are increasing there as well, including the Amazon and Congo basins, both of which are critical to storing carbon, protecting biodiversity and regulating local climates.Over the last 25 years, fire-related tree cover loss in the tropics increased at a rate of about 53,100 hectares per year, peaking in 2024 with more than 4 million hectares lost — more than the previous three years combined. Fires also account for a larger share of forest loss. Over the past three years, fires were responsible for more than a third (35%) of all tree cover loss in tropical primary forests each year on average, almost three times the average from 2001 to 2022. In 2024 alone, fires were responsible for nearly half (48%) of all tree cover loss in tropical primary forests, marking the first time fire surpassed agriculture as the leading cause of forest loss in the tropics since our data began. Beyond causing tree cover loss, fire is also a driver of forest degradation in the tropics. Low-intensity understory fires weaken forest structure and leave forests more vulnerable to future damage. Almost all fires that occur in the tropics are started by people, rather than by natural causes like lightning strikes. Managed fires are commonly used in the region to clear land for new pasture or agriculture. But these fires can escape and escalate, with warmer and drier conditions fueling their spread. Deforestation and forest degradation associated with agricultural expansion also make forests in these regions more vulnerable to fires by contributing to rising temperatures and dried-out vegetation.In Bolivia, for example, agricultural expansion and droughts have led to a significant increase in fire activity over the last two decades. Fires burned more than a million hectares of forest in the country in 2024, more than double the previous record set in 2019. Peru and Brazil also experienced their worst and second-worst fire seasons, respectively, in 2024, with most of the loss occurring in primary forests. 2025 also saw elevated fire activity in the three countries, although some may reflect late-season fires carrying over from 2024. In addition to climate and land-use changes, wildfire risk in the tropics is further fueled by El Niño events. These natural climate cycles recur every two to seven years, causing high temperatures and below-average rainfall in certain parts of the world. Strong El Niño events heavily influenced the 2016 and 2024 fire seasons — two of the most severe since the turn of the century — during which tree cover loss due to fire spiked across the tropics. In both years, more than one-quarter of all fire-related tree cover loss occurred in tropical forests, roughly twice the average share seen in non–El Niño years. As of June 2026, El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen, potentially becoming one of the strongest El Niño events in records going back to 1950.Similar to boreal forests, increased fire activity in the tropics is causing higher carbon emissions. Previous studies found that in some years, forest fires accounted for more than half of all carbon emissions in the Brazilian Amazon. This suggests the Amazon basin may be nearing or already at a tipping point for turning into a net carbon source.Development Compounds Climate-Driven Fire Risk in Temperate and Subtropical ForestsHistorically, temperate and subtropical forests have burned less than boreal or tropical forests. Fires in subtropical forests, like the southeastern United States, eastern Australia, and many parts of the Mediterranean, have been increasing slightly, at about 7,800 hectares per year. But fires in temperate forests, including in the eastern United States, western Europe and parts of eastern Asia, are increasing more rapidly, at about 22,400 hectares per year.Fires in these regions tend to pose more severe risks to people and property, largely because temperate and subtropical forests are often located near more densely populated areas. These areas also tend to contain a larger proportion of managed forests, which can house fewer species and store less carbon than natural ones, but often carry substantial economic value. As a result, fires in these forests can reduce the economic value of these lands, in addition to threatening nearby communities.Just as with boreal forests, climate change is the main driver behind the increasing fire activity in temperate and subtropical forests. Europe, where these forests are common, is warming faster than any other continent, fueling intense heat waves and summer droughts that are driving fire activity across the region. This is especially concerning given Europe’s dense population and dependence on managed forests for timber and other forest products. Fires and other climate-driven disturbances are expected to exact steep economic costs as climate change worsens.In 2025, record-breaking heat and drought fueled wildfires across the region. Spain saw more than 95,000 hectares of forest burned, its highest total since our data began in 2001, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by about 25%, and more than five times the annual average for 2001 to 2024. It was also the worst year for France and the third-worst year for Portugal over the same period. Research suggests such conditions in Spain and Portugal are now 40 times more likely due to climate change. A helicopter drops water on flames during a wildfire in Ribadelago Viejo, Castilla y León, Spain, in August 2025. The fire burned in the Tera River Canyon in the Sanabria region amid a period of intense wildfire activity across Spain. Photo by Jose Manuel Martinez Rosas /iStock A helicopter drops water on flames during a wildfire in Ribadelago Viejo, Castilla y León, Spain, in August 2025. The fire burned in the Tera River Canyon in the Sanabria region amid a period of intense wildfire activity across Spain. Photo by Jose Manuel Martinez Rosas /iStockLand-use changes and shifting population patterns compound the impacts of climate change. In Greece, a combination of heat waves, drought and large plantations of highly flammable non-native species, like eucalyptus, created ideal conditions for extreme wildfires in 2021 and 2023. In Europe more broadly, the abandonment of agricultural land in recent years has been followed by excessive vegetation growth that has increased fire risk.In South Korea, 2025 brought the country’s worst wildfires since 2001, burning more than 65 times as much forest as the annual average for 2001 to 2024. Like Spain, the fires were driven by an unusually dry and hot spring, conditions that research suggests climate change has made twice as likely. The fires burned through communities as well as forests, killing at least 27 people and destroying a 1,300-year-old temple. In the United States, natural lands are rapidly being converted into what’s known as wildland-urban interfaces, which are places where homes and other structures intermingle with trees and vegetation. This increases the risk of fire ignitions, as well as the resulting damage and loss of life. In 2025, wildfires in the U.S. burned about 500,000 hectares of forest, roughly in line with the average for 2001 to 2024, but the damage was anything but average.The destructive fires that swept through Los Angeles in early 2025 became some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in California history, causing an estimated $140 billion in losses, ranking among the costliest natural disasters ever recorded. The Los Angeles fires are a stark reminder that as homes and communities push further into fire-prone landscapes, even an average fire year can cause catastrophic damage. As human activities continue to warm the planet and reshape the landscape, deadly, multi-billion-dollar disasters like these will likely become more common. How Do We Reduce Forest Fires?The causes of increasing forest fires are complex and vary by geography, and there is no single solution. Climate change plays an important role, driving more frequent and intense fires. Without rapid and significant transformations across all systems, fire activity is unlikely to return to the lower levels seen in past decades. But climate change is a global challenge with its own complex set of solutions. How we manage forests will help determine whether they become assets, supporting fire prevention and mitigating climate change, or liabilities that increase fire risk. The path forward requires action across multiple fronts.Reducing human pressures on forests is also critical. Ending deforestation and forest degradation improves forest resilience, while limiting burning near forests can prevent fires from escaping into surrounding landscapes, especially during droughts. Incorporating wildfire risk mitigation into forest management strategies in fire-prone regions would help protect forest carbon and create jobs and support rural communities at the same time. Fire-proofing and prevention remain some of the most cost-effective tools available, but are underfunded in many countries. Closing that gap will require increased public investment and innovative financing approaches that engage the beneficiaries of healthy forests, such as utilities and businesses to insurers and local communities. Many of these approaches are already being implemented through collaborative initiatives such as WRI’s Cities4Forests Initiative, which works with cities, utilities and other partners around the world to develop innovative financing models that support forest restoration and wildfire resilience. Mechanisms such as the Forest Resilience Bond, watershed resilience funds and other blended finance models can provide upfront capital for prescribed burning, forest restoration and other measures that reduce wildfire risk before fires start.Indigenous Peoples and local communities bring centuries of knowledge and experience using prescribed burns to maintain resilient landscapes but are often excluded from fire management decisions and lack the equipment and resources needed to respond quickly when fires do occur. Securing land rights and directing dedicated funding toward local fire brigades would enable these communities to lead fire management in the places they know best.Better data can also improve decision-making at the national level and enable faster action by communities on the front lines. Tools like Global Nature Watch make it possible to track fire activity in near real-time and over the long term, helping identify trends and develop targeted responses. But data is only useful if it drives the policy, investment and on-the-ground response that forests and the communities who depend on them urgently need. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2022. It was last updated in July 2026 to reflect the latest data on global forest fires.Mikaela Weisse, former Global Forest Watch (now Global Nature Watch) Director, contributed to an earlier version of this article. 1 Methodology notes: We define forests as all natural, managed or planted trees with at least 30% canopy cover, and all calculations are based on this threshold. Importantly, ‘forest loss’ does not always mean permanent loss. Others, such as the authors of this recent paper led by the University of Maryland, use a similar methodology but apply different canopy cover and height thresholds to define forests. We encourage readers to consider a range of sources when exploring global forest loss trends.