European nations battle record wildfires as heatwaves intensify
France, Spain and Greece are fighting massive wildfires amid a fourth heatwave, while Belgium deploys military resources to assist French fire crews.
Firefighters in southwestern France are contending with a blaze covering an area four times the size of Paris, with more than 2,200 personnel and over twenty aircraft deployed. Local volunteers have joined the effort, filling water tanks and helping on the forest floor.
In Spain, authorities have stabilized fires near Madrid and Ávila, allowing tens of thousands of evacuees to return home, but a separate wildfire in Castellón remains uncontrolled. Spain’s interior minister said the combined fires have burned roughly 700 square kilometres, and the country is experiencing its fourth heatwave of the summer.
Greece reported two firefighter deaths while battling a wildfire on Crete; the fire, driven by strong winds, prompted evacuation orders and the deployment of helicopters and water-dropping planes.
Belgium announced the deployment of 29 military personnel, two Panther firetrucks and a convoy of water trucks to support French firefighting operations, with the defence minister emphasizing “action, not words.”
Météo-France warned that Wednesday would be the hottest and driest day of the week, raising wildfire risk across the nation, while Gironde officials ordered additional evacuations along the Atlantic coast.
The European Union’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has coordinated the use of 17 aircraft from member states and partner countries to assist France and Spain, and its head warned that 2026 could become the continent’s most severe fire season on record.