Understanding — Data
Forest fires in France: key figures
How many hectares are burnt each year? Who starts the fires? What really happened in 2025? Key data, sourced and put into context — to understand the bigger picture beyond the images of flames.
Key points
- On average in recent times, mainland France has experienced several thousands of fires each year, burning between 10,000 and over 70,000 hectares, depending on the year.
- 2022 remains the record year of the century (~72,000 ha, EFFIS); 2025 was marked by the Aude fire, the largest single fire since 1949 (~16,000 ha covered).
- ≈ 9 out of 10 incidents are caused by human error — more than half of them due to carelessness.
- 96% of fires are extinguished before they reach 10 ha: early warning and a rapid response are key to this outcome.
- The season is getting longer and the risk is spreading northwards — a trend confirmed by Météo-France.
An overview in 6 figures
The 2025 season: the year of the Aude fire
The summer of 2025 marked a turning point due to the severity of a single event: the 5 August 2025, a fire that started in the commune of Ribaute (Aude) swept through the Corbières mountains in a matter of hours, fuelled by strong winds and driven by vegetation parched by months of lack of rain. The toll from this single fire alone was approximately 16,000 hectares covered — the largest fire in France since 1949 —, one fatality, several people injured, and 36 houses destroyed, thousands of people evacuated, entire vineyards burnt to the ground.
Nationwide, the season totalled approximately 35,000 hectares burnt (forests and vegetation, EFFIS data), which is several times the average for the 2010s, with sustained pressure on the Mediterranean arc — the Aude department alone recorded dozens of fires, several of which covered more than 100 ha. Our coverage of the event: The story of the Aude fire, and the historical map to explore all past fires near you.
A few ups and downs over the years — but a clear trend
| Year | Areas affected by fire (order of magnitude, mainland France) | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | ≈ 15,000 ha | An ‘ordinary’ year in the 2010s |
| 2021 | ≈ 30,000 ha | Gonfaron (Var) fire: 7,000 ha, 2 fatalities |
| 2022 | ≈ 72,000 ha | Record of the century: Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch (Gironde, ~30,000 ha between them), with fires spreading as far as Brittany and the Jura |
| 2023 | ≈ 15,000 ha | A relative lull — and the roll-out of the Forest Weather Service |
| 2024 | ≈ 10,000 ha | A wet year across much of the northern half |
| 2025 | ≈ 35,000 ha | Aude fire (Ribaute): the largest single fire since 1949 |
Inter-annual variability is normal (it follows the summer weather) ; the underlying trend The situation is less favourable: the high-risk season is lengthening, the danger is spreading northwards and westwards, and extreme events are becoming more likely. This is the consensus reached by Météo-France, INRAE and the IPCC at the Mediterranean level — as detailed in understanding risk.
Who turns on the lights?
- Carelessness and everyday accidents (the majority) : agricultural and domestic waste, cigarette ends, barbecues, vehicles, power lines and waste disposal sites.
- Malicious intent : a significant proportion (around a quarter to a third of identified cases, depending on the year) — subject to severe penalties (up to 15 years’ imprisonment).
- Lightning : a minority (a few per cent), mainly in mountainous areas, with fires that are sometimes difficult to reach.
Statistical moral of the story: individual prevention is not just a nice-to-have — it is the main lever to reduce the number of traffic lights. The everyday actions and the the art of brush-clearing weigh more than any aeroplane.
And on the other side: the counter-terrorism measures
Around 250,000 firefighters (80 per cent of whom are volunteers), reinforcement units that can be mobilised across the country, a national fleet of water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, the Civil Protection military units, and a European cooperation scheme (rescEU) that facilitates the movement of resources between countries. Full details — Canadair, Dash, heavy helicopters, helicopter-aircraft hybrids — can be found in our section control measures.
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
Check the fire alert status for your department, monitor current fires and report a new fire via the Feux de Forêt mobile app.