The European Union is enduring its most severe wildfire season since records began, with more than 1.01mn hectares of land scorched so far this year, surpassing previous highs and raising concerns over climate preparedness and environmental management across the bloc.

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), fires have burned 1,016,000 hectares of land since January — an area larger than Cyprus and equivalent to roughly one-third of Belgium, Politico reports.

It is the first time the EU has crossed the 1mn hectare threshold since EFFIS began tracking fires in 2006. The previous worst year, 2017, recorded just under 988,000 hectares burned. As reported by bne IntelliNews, Europe is facing an unprecedented heatwave this year as the Climate Crisis accelerates faster than scientists predicted. The Paris targets of holding warming to 1.5°C  has already been missed and the world is on course to warm by 2.7C-3.1C, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Nearly two-thirds of the total area burned was lost after August 5, when EFFIS data recorded only 380,000 hectares affected. The sharp increase in fire activity has been concentrated primarily on the Iberian Peninsula, with Spain and Portugal among the worst-hit countries.

Spain alone accounts for more than 400,000 hectares burned. In Portugal, more than 270,000 hectares — equivalent to 3% of the country's entire territory — have been consumed by flames. According to government figures, this marks the worst fire season in Spain since 1994, based on records that date back to the 1960s.

The fires have been driven by extreme heat in recent weeks, which has dried out forests and left large regions of the peninsula highly flammable. Scientists warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves and droughts, further elevating the risk of wildfires.

However, experts point to human factors as the principal cause of the devastation. “The main driver of the catastrophic fires in Spain and Portugal is an overabundance of flammable vegetation on abandoned land and authorities’ failure to take preventive measures,” researchers noted.

In response, Spain’s special prosecutor for environmental issues has opened an investigation into the country’s lack of fire prevention plans.

EFFIS data also indicates that the EU could be approaching a record level of carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires, as large-scale blazes release substantial volumes of planet-warming pollution.