Global biomass burning emissions fell to their lowest level on record in the first half of 2026, according to CAMS data.
Total estimated carbon emissions from biomass burning stayed below 400 megatonnes between January 1 and June 30.
Africa was the largest emitting region, accounting for about 154 megatonnes of carbon, followed by Asia with an estimated 113 megatonnes.
CAMS warned that late-June wildfires across Eurasia and North America, along with possible El Niño conditions, could raise emissions later in the year.
Global biomass burning emissions fell to their lowest level on record in the first half of 2026, although a late-June surge in wildfires across Eurasia and North America could change the picture as the boreal fire season develops, according to a new dataset.
The Global Fire Assimilation System dataset, produced by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), estimates that total global carbon emissions from biomass burning remained below 400 megatonnes between January 1 and June 30 this year. CAMS said this was the lowest level recorded in its 24-year satellite-based dataset, which tracks active fires from 2003 onwards.
Asia contributed an estimated 113 megatonnes of carbon during the period, making it the second-largest emitting region after Africa, which accounted for about 154 megatonnes. CAMS said the use of fire for land clearing and agricultural practices during the dry season remained a major source of emissions in both regions.
“The record low total biomass burning emissions for the first half of 2026 continue the overall downward trend related to changes in savanna fires in tropical Africa and Asia,” said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at CAMS.
“However, the observed onset of many large-scale wildfires across Eurasia and North America in the last couple of weeks of June could increase the global total emissions through the rest of the summer.”
Fire activity accelerated sharply towards the end of June across parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Large wildfires, many ignited by lightning strikes, spread across several Canadian provinces in the last week of June. The fires released smoke containing particulate matter and gases, including carbon monoxide, into the atmosphere.
CAMS said smoke plumes were transported towards the Canadian Arctic and across the North Atlantic. The largest fires were observed in the Northwest Territories and Manitoba, while additional fires developed in several other provinces.Despite the surge in activity, Canada's cumulative carbon emissions from biomass burning in 2026 remain around the long-term average for this time of year.
Wildfires also intensified in Russia after fires first appeared in the country's far eastern regions during May. Larger fires developed across subarctic parts of Siberia, particularly Krasnoyarsk Krai, during June, producing extensive smoke plumes that in some cases drifted toward the Arctic Ocean.
In the United States, significant wildfires have been burning since the middle of June in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Colorado. CAMS said the smoke plumes from these fires were smaller than those from Canada but remained clearly visible in satellite observations and atmospheric forecasts.
Elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, satellite sensors detected wildfires in Greenland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands during June following warm and dry weather in May.
Southern Europe also recorded increased fire activity. Significant fires occurred in Galicia, Aragón and Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, as well as parts of western Sicily in Italy. Several fires were also burning in southern France as of July 3. The European Forest Fire Information System forecast a high wildfire risk across Spain, France and the Benelux region during the first week of July based on the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts Fire Weather Index.
In Asia, seasonal agricultural fires and wildfires across the upper Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries generated below-average emissions between February and April, except in Thailand, which recorded its highest estimated biomass burning emissions since 2016.
CAMS noted that haze and poor air quality continued to affect parts of the ASEAN region despite the generally lower emissions. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre reported intense fire activity during April in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Looking ahead, CAMS said the anticipated onset of El Niño conditions could increase vegetation fires and biomass burning in several regions. Previous El Niño events in 2015 and 2019 led to significantly higher fire emissions and widespread haze in Indonesia between August and October.
“Looking further ahead, the predicted El Niño conditions have the potential to increase global fire emissions, as we observed during the previous El Niño years of 2015 and 2019, when persistent biomass burning in Indonesia caused widespread regional haze and severely degraded air quality. While the first half of the year provides a positive snapshot, continued monitoring remains essential as wildfire smoke can still have significant air quality impacts and conditions can change quickly," Parrington added.