Gallery: Wildfires Across Europe in August 2026
- Zuzana Hajkova, Content Marketing Coordinator, EUSI
The first week of August brought heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. This gallery of VHR (Very High Resolution) satellite images shows the destruction.
West Attica and Boetica, Greece
A fault in electricity network sparked a massive wildfire that swept through the Boetica and Attica regions in Greece. The satellite images below were collected by WorldView Legion on 1 August 2026.
Fermoselle, Spain
A fire started in Fermoselle, close to the Portugal-Spain border, and rapidly spread across the populated area. As a result, over 800 residents had to be evacuated. Collected on 2 August 2026 with the Vantor WorldView Legion satellite, the images show the extensive damage.
Gros Bessillon, France
Since 21 July, fires have burnt 4,500 hectares and destroyed 31 homes in the Gross-Bessillon area in France. Satellite imagery was collected on 1 August with WorldView Legion.
Palermo, Italy
Dozens of fires have swept across Sicily this summer. This is satellite imagery of an area southwest of Palermo, collected on 2 August with WorldView Legion.
Gargano National Park, Italy
The National Park of Gargano is a UNESCO site in Italy, known for its biodiversity: It has 350-year-old beech trees and many species of wild orchids. These satellite images, showing an extensive burn scar, were collected on 2 August with WorldView Legion.
Burgohondo, Spain
An unusually wet winter led to dense vegetation growth, causing massive fires to sweep through Spain this August. VHR satellite images captured the Burgohondo wildfire on 2 August using the WorldView Legion sensor.
Satellite images as a tool for wildfire management
Emergency responders are already turning to satellite imagery for fire monitoring and damage analysis – but few know its full potential. Near Real-Time (NRT) capabilities deliver critical images just 15 minutes after collection. Intraday imaging captures a fire as it develops throughout the day. And 8-band multispectral imagery lets responders see through haze, light fog, and other atmospheric conditions – including wildfire smoke itself. Read an article on how VHR satellite images can be used for fire response and management.
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