On August 2, 2025 multiple wildfires broke out in Lapland’s Ranua and Posio areas, with additional fires reported in Tervola, Sodankylä, Rovaniemi and Kolar. The largest wildfire, spanning 500 × 500 m, burned near Alavaarantie in Ranua by late afternoon.

Recent heat waves have warmed Lapland’s rivers and lakes, leading Metsähallitus to suspend fishing permits and advise against salmonid fishing in the warm waters.

Lapland’s rescue services and volunteer fire brigades have responded to dozens of wildfires and smoke reports since Tuesday amid very dry terrain and lightning strikes igniting new fires, though current resources have been sufficient.

Lake and river surface waters in Lapland have warmed rapidly due to recent heatwaves, reaching up to 5°C above average and attracting more beach visitors than usual.

Unusually heavy rains in Lapland have caused water levels to rise near flood levels, and further rises will depend on temperatures over the next few days, with climate change being a contributing factor.

There are no records to indicate the last time there was such a radical temperature change in a 24-hour period.

Grass and forest fires are proving difficult to contain in Finnish Lapland, and now several fires on the Russian side of the border are moving into Finland.

Finland's ski centres are coping with shorter, milder winters by making and storing snow – costly short-term solutions that may worsen the problem in the longer term.

Up north highs were up to 2 degrees warmer than average, while central and southern regions of Finland were up to 3 degrees warmer.

Herders are struggling to find thousands of reindeer that have run away in search of food. "We are driving for hours and hours to locate our reindeers and to herd them back, but it has been very difficult in these wintry conditions. So, we are also using helicopters and this is very unusual - and very expensive too."