Gale-force winds force new evacuations in Greece as wildfires rage across Europe

Strong winds pushed a wildfire further into western Attica, the region surrounding Athens, on Sunday, leading Greek authorities to order evacuations in the villages of Kandili, Agia Skepi and Toutouli and to warn residents of the coastal community of Porto Germeno. Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but the gusts hampered aerial water drops and forced some crews to evacuate 254 people by sea on Friday and another 12 on Saturday, the last viable escape routes as roads were cut by smoke.

The blaze, which started on Friday near Agios Vasileios, is estimated by wildfire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros to have burned 40–50 square kilometres. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was briefed on the operation. Similar fire activity was reported on the Ionian island of Kefalonia and in Halkidiki, while earlier in the week two firefighters died on Crete and another in the Peloponnese.

In southwestern France, the Gironde megafire continues to burn within a 420-square-kilometre scar, prompting the highest red forest-fire alert and the deployment of international firefighting teams. About 150 homes were destroyed in the Le Porge area. A separate blaze in the Var department of southeastern France was stabilized after burning roughly 18 square kilometres, though it remains uncontained and has forced the evacuation of around 2,500 people.

Spain reported that its major fires, which have caused at least 13 deaths this season, were no longer advancing. Crews are now guarding the perimeter of the Fermoselle fire in Zamora province, and most evacuees have returned home. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to address wildfire risks.

Europe’s wildfire season has been severe, with more than 10,000 square kilometres burned in 2025, the continent’s worst year on record. The European Environment Agency notes nearly 800 deaths from wildfires over the past four decades, and scientists attribute the increasing intensity of fire weather to climate change.