EU Emergency Co-ordinator Issues Dire Warning
The head of the EU's Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre, Maria Zuber, has warned that wildfires could engulf all of Europe within days. Intense blazes are currently ravaging several European nations, including France, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey, while three firefighters have died tackling a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete.
Wildfires Spreading Across the Continent
Zuber told reporters: "The next risk, it's already moving to Greece and also Central Europe. Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece." She added: "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."
In southern Rethymno, Crete, a wildfire is burning "out of control on all fronts," with firefighting aircraft grounded due to strong winds. The blaze has claimed the lives of three firefighters.
France: Blaze Covers Area Four Times the Size of Paris
In south-west France, firefighters are battling a wildfire spanning an area four times the size of Paris, with temperatures forecast to reach 40°C. More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remain mobilised, supported by crews from across France and European partners. The fire forced 220,000 people to flee at its peak; tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warn the danger has not passed.
Temperatures that peaked around 40°C dropped to 27°C along the coast on Thursday. An "orange" heat wave alert—the second-highest level—was lifted shortly before dawn.
Spain and Broader European Impact
Spain braces for its fourth heatwave of the summer, with several fires still out of control, including its largest in recorded history. At the peak of evacuations, a third of a million people were driven from homes and vacation sites in France and Spain, with up to 750,000 evacuated overall. Spanish authorities have begun lifting some evacuation orders after firefighters made progress.
Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, warming at more than twice the global average, according to the EU's Copernicus climate service. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain.
