Story perspectives

2026 Wildfires Burn 150 M Hectares, 20% Record Rise

5/13/2026

Summary

Global Fires Surge

Over 150 million hectares have burned globally in early 2026, 20 % above the previous record.
Theodore Keeping of Imperial College London said fires are 50 % larger than seasonal average.
Africa has burned 85 million hectares, beating 69 million, while Asia’s wildfires are about 40 % above previous record year.
GWIS data show 1.63 billion hectares burned by May 6, 20 % above the 2012-2025 average, with a 61 % chance of El Niño that could raise temperatures 3 °C.

Summary

Scientists Warn

Sea-ice extent in the Northern Hemisphere is at its lowest recorded level for this time of year.
Ocean temperatures are nearing record highs, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute.
Scientists warn that heat and drought are pressuring agricultural systems and global food-supply chains.
Fire crews in Argentina, Chile and Japan have been overwhelmed by an early-season surge of blazes.

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Global Fires Surge

Over 150 million hectares have burned globally in early 2026, 20 % above the previous record.
Theodore Keeping of Imperial College London said fires are 50 % larger than seasonal average.
Africa has burned 85 million hectares, beating 69 million, while Asia’s wildfires are about 40 % above previous record year.
GWIS data show 1.63 billion hectares burned by May 6, 20 % above the 2012-2025 average, with a 61 % chance of El Niño that could raise temperatures 3 °C.

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