ANDALUCIA has already recorded more than 40% of last summer’s wildfires, new data has revealed — despite being only six weeks into the high-risk season.

The region has recorded 372 wildfires so far this year, according to figures from the Andalucian Emergency Agency.

In 2025, Andalucia recorded 876 wildfire incidents between June 1 and October 15.

This year, with two months of the high-risk period still remaining, the region has already experienced almost half the number of wildfires recorded during the entire season last year.

READ MORE: ‘Critical’ wildfire in Aragon forces hundreds to evacuate as blaze spreads – with firefighters recounting terror as flames surround them

In terms of impact, the number of hectares burned has tripled compared with the same period in 2025.

Data shows a sharp increase between May and June, with the number of wildfires reported in the first 18 days of June surpassing the total recorded throughout May.

Experts have linked the alarming trend to a succession of heatwaves, while warning that the relationship is not necessarily a direct cause-and-effect link.

The first heatwave, which began on June 21 and lasted four days, saw temperatures reach 40C and coincided with two of the busiest wildfire days of the season, with 14 incidents reported on both June 21 and 22.

The second heatwave, during which temperatures climbed above 41C across parts of the region, was followed by another intense period of wildfire activity lasting five days.

READ MORE: Seven Britons and one US national among 13 dead after devastating Almeria wildfire

Huelva has recorded the highest number of wildfires so far, with 71 incidents, followed by Malaga with 64 and Sevilla with 62.

However, these figures do not necessarily reflect the amount of land destroyed or the severity of the fires.

Almeria, despite recording the fewest incidents in Andalucia, suffered the most devastating wildfire of the century — and one of the deadliest in Spain’s history — which claimed 13 lives.

Wildfires have also been significantly more frequent across Spain this year compared with 2025. Last week, a fire in Orés, near Zaragoza, destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of land.

With the high-risk season still far from over, pressure is mounting on authorities as wildfire risks continue to rise, with incidents already approaching half of last year’s total barely halfway through the season.

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