The high-risk forest fire season in Andalucía has begun with worrying intensity. In just a month and a half, the region has recorded 372 fires, a figure that already accounts for 42.5% of all incidents during the 2025 high-risk campaign. Furthermore, the area burned since the beginning of the year nearly triples that of the same period last year, according to data from the Andalusian Emergency Agency.
This figure is particularly significant given that the high-risk campaign extends until October 15. After the first 48 days of the maximum risk period, Andalucía has already surpassed 40% of the fires registered throughout the entire 2025 campaign.
The high-risk season, which officially began on June 1, has marked a drastic change in trend. While May saw 115 fires (an average of 3.71 per day), since June the figure has risen to 372, with an average of 7.75 daily incidents, more than double the previous month. Days with between five and fifteen fires have become common, contrasting with the predominance of days with zero to three fires in May. June closed with 227 fires, almost double May's total, and the first 18 days of July already add up to 145.
Heatwaves have coincided with the main peaks in activity. The first wave, in late June, recorded fourteen fires on two consecutive days. The second wave, in early July, coincided with the most intense period, with 59 fires in five days (an average of 11.8 daily). The daily maximum was reached on June 13 with 17 fires. The current heatwave, predicted to be one of the longest and most intense, is causing significant concern.
By province, Huelva leads in the number of fires with 71, followed by Málaga (64) and Seville (62). Jaén, Córdoba, Granada, Cádiz, and Almería follow. However, Almería province, despite registering fewer outbreaks, has suffered the most devastating fire of the century.
The affected area has tripled compared to the previous year. Between January 1 and July 16, 14,587 hectares have been burned, compared to 5,189 in the same period of 2025. This increase is due not only to the higher number of fires but also to the magnitude of some fires exceeding 500 hectares, fifteen in the last month compared to six in the previous year.
The year 2025 was already demanding for the Andalusian firefighting service, with 140 more fires than the average of the last decade. Although it is too early to predict how the 2026 campaign will unfold, the start has been particularly harsh, with Andalucía approaching half the fires registered in last year's maximum risk season.
