The head of the EU's Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre has warned that wildfires could engulf 'all of Europe' within days, as blazes ravage France, Spain, Greece and Portugal.
Maria Zuber said the next risk is moving to Greece and Central Europe. 'Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire,' she told reporters.
Three firefighters killed in Greece
Three firefighters lost their lives battling wildfires in Greece. Two firefighters, aged 25 and 58, died when they became trapped while fighting a blaze at Krya Vrysi on Crete. A third firefighter, aged 27, was found unconscious while tackling a wildfire in Gytheio on the Peloponnese peninsula.
The deaths came as wildfires ravaged the islands of Paros and Lesvos, as well as mainland Greece.
France: Gironde wildfire 'stable' but uncontained
In France, the huge fire that ravaged 42,000 hectares in Gironde remains 'stable' after 'a rather calm night', the prefecture said. Weather conditions are expected to be 'rather favourable' with cooler temperatures.
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said: 'If the night goes well, we can reasonably be more optimistic for tomorrow [Thursday] and for the days to come, because the weather, finally, will be a little more favourable to us with a drop in temperatures.'
More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remain mobilised. Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said: 'We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions.'
Record heat and drought
France saw heatwave records in the southwest, with Brive-la-Gaillarde recording 42.2°C and Tarbes crossing 40°C for the first time in its history. Drought now covers mainland France and Corsica, with soils nearing the record dryness of August 2022.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Gironde is France's biggest wildfire battle, with 220,000 people forced to flee at the peak of the crisis.
Arrests and evacuations
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson near Bordeaux. Investigators believe contractors using a brush-cutting machine near a high-voltage line ignited the blaze.
George and Amal Clooney evacuated their home in Brignoles, in south-east France, writing a letter to the mayor expressing commitment to the community.
Spain, Portugal, Turkey also hit
In Spain, a level two extreme warning was issued for wildfires in Zamora, with evacuations underway. A community of Augustinian nuns was forced to evacuate their monastery in Sotillo de la Adrada. In Portugal, wildfires raged in Mirandela. In Turkey, huge flames and smoke were seen in Balikesir and Antalya, with hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes.
Nuclear plant at risk
The Golfech nuclear power plant in south-west France faces a second shutdown in a month as river temperatures rise. The plant shut down on July 9 after the River Garonne approached the regulatory limit of 28°C.
A spokesperson for EDF said: 'Weather conditions over the last few days have led to a significant rise in the temperature of the Garonne (river), which is expected to reach 28°C this Friday July 10.'
UK-France cooperation on climate resilience
The UK government said it is committed to working with France to address the 'threat' of wildfires. A government spokesperson said: 'In the context of the unprecedented wildfires and heatwaves being experienced across Europe as a consequence of the global climate crisis, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Right Honourable Edward Samuel Miliband, and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, reaffirm their shared determination to address this threat.'
