Record Wildfires Push Bulgaria Into EU’s Top 10 Most Fire-Hit Countries

Jerusalem, 23 July, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Sofia (BTA) – Forest fires in the last two years have set new historical records on four continents. Official data from the European Commission (EFFIS/Copernicus), the Canadian and American governments, as well as the Executive Forestry Agency (EFFIS) and the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection (GDPBZN) outline a similar picture.

“We are observing an earlier start to the fire season, a larger affected area and increasing economic and human losses. Experts point to both climate change and the way forests are managed as key factors,” reported the Chamber of Woodworking and Furniture Industries (BKDMP).

According to the official audit of the Court of Auditors, citing EFFIS, in 2025 Bulgaria is among the 10 countries most affected by forest fires in the EU as a percentage of its territory. The country is losing about 300,000 decares (30,000 hectares) of forests, much of them in the protected Natura 2000 network.

Bulgaria’s most severe fire last year broke out on July 25 over the village of Ilindentsi, Strumyani municipality in Pirin, affecting over 45,000 decares of total area (of which over 30,000 decares of forest areas), lasted for nearly a month and was finally extinguished on August 22, 2025. In July 2025, there were nearly 3,500 fires in Bulgaria – almost 20 percent more than in July 2024, according to the director of the General Directorate of Forest Fire Prevention and Control.

According to IAG data, only about 5 percent of forest fires are due to natural causes – the rest are the result of human negligence, action or inaction.

Forestry experts also point to structural problems for the Bulgarian forest. “Nearly 39 percent of the country’s territory is forested, but the forests in our country are strongly influenced by human presence – nearly half are coppice, and one third are coniferous crops. These are short-lived plantations that require constant silvicultural care; a large part of them are already old and massively dried out. This makes them more vulnerable to fires and attacks by bark beetle pests,” commented the expert at the Bulgarian Forestry and Forestry Commission, Eng. Petar Dishkov.

Global Data

In 2023 and 2024, forest loss due to fires was approximately twice the annual average for the past two decades globally and three times higher in tropical forests, with record fires raging in Canada and South America.

Evergreen coniferous forests in Canada and Russia account for about 60 percent of the tree cover loss from fires between 2001 and 2024.

Global carbon emissions from wildfires increased by 60 percent between 2001 and 2023. In Canada alone, fires released about 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2023—about the same as India’s annual fossil fuel emissions. Air pollution from wildfire smoke is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths a year.

Between $45 billion and $77 billion worth of mostly commercial timber has been destroyed since 2001. In addition to the economic consequences, forest fires take a heavy toll on wildlife – billions of animals, including many endangered species, have been killed or displaced in recent years.