Heat wave drives fire: Southern Europe in flames!

An extreme heat wave with temperatures sometimes well above 40 degrees is causing problems for people in large parts of southern Europe. This also increases the risk of devastating forest fires: France, Greece, Portugal and Spain in particular are currently battling numerous fires. High temperatures, dried out vegetation and strong winds create ideal conditions for the flames to spread quickly.

Southern France is currently the hardest hit. Since Saturday, the flames have destroyed around 4,600 hectares of vegetation in the Pyrenees. Five people, including two firefighters, were injured. Around 10,000 residents were asked to evacuate as a precaution. Because of the major fire, the… third stage of the Tour de France took place on the French side without spectators. “My main goal today is to support the people who have been evacuated,” said Prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe. “Not a single firefighter” should therefore be deployed to secure the tour – the fight against the flames has top priority.

Toxic smoke warning near Thessaloniki

In Portugal (Vouzela region), more than 1,200 firefighters with almost 400 vehicles and 15 firefighting aircraft are fighting a major fire. The fire has spread to around 120 square kilometers since Thursday – an area larger than Sylt. Near Thessaloniki in northern Greece, around 160 firefighters are fighting a forest fire that also engulfed a recycling plant. Residents were asked not to leave their homes because of the toxic smoke. Another major fire broke out west of the capital Athens. There are 210 firefighters and 29 firefighting planes and helicopters on duty there. According to the Fire department Around 85 percent of forest fires in Greece are caused by human negligence.

People in the far north-east of Spain can breathe a little easier: around 400 firefighters and ten firefighting aircraft have brought a forest fire at least partially under control near the Costa Brava. The fire destroyed about 2,200 hectares of vegetation. Authorities closed the fire area and hope to fully contain the fire before that Wetter turns over again.

Figures show the dramatic extent of the fires

Overall, Europe is experiencing a dramatic summer of fires: according to data from the European Forest fire-Informationssystems (EFFIS), the number of forest fires in 2026 will be significantly above the long-term average. By the beginning of July, around 118,700 hectares of land in the EU had been destroyed by the flames, which corresponds to an area of ​​​​almost 166,000 football fields. For comparison: On average over the past few years, around 90,000 to 100,000 hectares had been burned in the EU at this point.