Wildfire damage in Portugal more than doubles ahead of summer fire season

The area burned by wildfires in Portugal has more than doubled so far this year compared to the same period in 2025, local media reported Thursday, raising concerns ahead of the summer fire season.

Between Jan. 1 and April 15, a total of 7,675 hectares (18,965 acres) were burned in 1,665 rural fires, according to data from the National Republican Guard obtained by Portuguese daily Jornal de Noticias.

During the same period last year, 598 fires were recorded, burning 3,418 hectares (8,446 acres).

The increase came after 2025 was already one of the worst wildfire years on record in Portugal, heightening fears about the country's preparedness for the months ahead.

Earlier this month, Portugal's Interior Minister Luis Neves issued a stark warning.

"The summer will be terrible; it could be very difficult," he told reporters, calling on residents to clear vegetation and prepare for heightened fire danger.

"There are new, exceptional, negative factors, and I ask that each person does their part," he added, stressing that landowners must take responsibility for clearing their properties.

Authorities say a series of intense storms this winter led to thousands of fallen trees as well as increased vegetation growth, creating excess combustible material and blocking access routes for firefighters.

Authorities also said 57 people were arrested between Jan. 1 and April 15 this year for negligent use of fire, a sixfold increase compared to 2025.

Last summer was the EU's most destructive wildfire season on record, with 43% of the total burned area located in Spain and Portugal.

In recent years, Portugal has also focused on reducing the human toll of wildfires following a series of deadly blazes in 2017. On June 17 that year, fires killed at least 66 people, and in October, another 45 people died in separate wildfires across the country.