2025 wildfire season is already Catalonia's most devastating in 12 years

This wildfire season is already Catalonia's most devastating in the past 12 years.

According to provisional data from forest rangers analyzed by Catalan News, 9,430 hectares have burned so far in 2025.

This marks the highest figure since 2012, when wildfires scorched 15,000 hectares.

The most devastating fire of the year occurred in June in Lleida, burning 5,500 hectares.

The figures also include the latest count of hectares burned in the ongoing fire in Baix Ebre, which has already scorched 3,100 hectares and is expected to continue spreading.

The remaining 800 hectares account for smaller fires recorded throughout the year.

What's most alarming is that this is only the beginning of the season. The active fire in Baix Ebre could grow significantly, and more fires may emerge in the weeks ahead.

Before the 2012 wildfire season, the most devastating of the century, the previous worst was in 2003, with 10,000 hectares burned.

That figure is close to the current total and is likely to be surpassed by the end of 2025.

To learn more about the history of wildfires in Catalonia and its strategy to tackle them, listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.