Wildfire Threat Shifts to Greece as France Begins Lifting Evacuations
While large fires in western Europe are being contained, gale-force winds have driven a new blaze in Greece, prompting sea evacuations, as French authorities allow residents to return home in the Gironde region.
The focus of Europe's wildfire emergency moved from western France and Spain to Greece on Saturday, where strong winds pushed flames through the pine-covered Gulf of Corinth resort of Porto Germeno. About 300 people were evacuated by boat and roughly 500 firefighters, supported by crews from France and Romania, worked to contain the fire that had started near Agios Vasileios. The National Observatory of Athens' wildfire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros estimated that the blaze had affected 40-50 square kilometres, though an official figure was not released.
In southwestern France, the Gironde fire that had scorched 420 square kilometres of pine forest west of Bordeaux remained contained but not yet declared fully extinguished. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the situation was under control, while Lt. Col. Eric Pitault noted that hot spots persisted along the perimeter. Authorities have begun allowing residents to return to most communities, though some areas, including the Cap Ferret peninsula, stayed under evacuation orders due to lingering risks.
Further south, the Var region's Gros Bessillon fire in southeastern France continued to burn despite earlier declarations of being fixed. About 1,300 firefighters were on the scene, and roughly 2,500 people remained unable to go back to their homes. Var Prefect Simon Babre said the fire's sudden resurgence was unexpected.
Climate officials highlighted that Europe is warming at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, a trend that intensifies drought and makes vegetation more combustible. "The very strong to gale-force winds continue to create exceptionally difficult conditions," said Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas.
Residents returning to the Gironde area described extensive damage. Matthieu Plessis, whose family home in Le Porge had stood for seven generations, said the forest was largely blackened and many structures were unrecognizable.
Overall, the shift in fire activity underscores the challenges posed by extreme weather across the continent, with authorities in multiple countries maintaining heightened vigilance as they work to fully extinguish the remaining hotspots.