Europe Firefighting Aircraft Log Record 8,000 July Hours as Wildfires Consume 450,000 Hectares
Updated
Updated · Aviation Week · Aug 8
Europe Firefighting Aircraft Log Record 8,000 July Hours as Wildfires Consume 450,000 Hectares
3 articles · Updated · Aviation Week · Aug 8
Summary
More than 8,000 firefighting aircraft hours were logged in Europe in July, already breaking the previous monthly high of 5,600 hours set in July 2025.
Nearly 1,500 wildfires have burned across Europe, scorching almost 450,000 hectares and driving the sharp jump in dedicated aircraft use.
The surge marks a steep acceleration from about 4,000 hours in both July and August 2023, then roughly 6,000 hours in July 2024 and just over 6,200 in August 2025.
Forecasters are still warning of "very extreme conditions," suggesting August aircraft utilization will remain elevated despite only a slight slowdown in fire spread.