Firefighters across Europe are contending with numerous wildfires as a new wave of record-breaking heat bakes the continent, exacerbating exceptionally parched landscapes. These historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change and are impacting regions unprepared for such heat, with limited air conditioning.
In France, which is experiencing its driest year on record, a new fire has spread through woodlands in the Landes region on the southwest coast. The blaze prompted the evacuation of over 500 residents from the town of Luglon as hundreds of firefighters were deployed. This incident is one of several fires that have affected forests across France this week, including in areas typically cooler and wetter in the north and Brittany. A significant fire near Bordeaux last month forced a quarter-million people to evacuate their homes.
France has also shut down six nuclear reactors in recent days due to extreme heat and drought. The utility company EDF stated that these shutdowns had minimal impact on national electricity production and that the extreme weather poses no safety risks to the reactors themselves. Additionally, large numbers of jellyfish have appeared on many French beaches, connected to unusually warm sea temperatures.
In England, a major fire in Stourbridge, central England, on Thursday consumed houses, leaving many without roofs. Approximately 20 to 30 homes were completely destroyed. The fire is believed to have started in grasslands before spreading to nearby residences. This July has been the driest in England and Wales since records began in 1836, with temperatures reaching 38.1C (100.6 F) in west London on Thursday, marking the hottest day of the year.
Spanish authorities worked to transfer the remains of three 11th-century kings from a monastery in the northeastern Aragón region, located near an active wildfire. The remains were moved to a museum approximately 80 kilometers south of the San Juan de la Peña monastery, which remained unharmed. Other items, including paintings and liturgical objects, were also removed. The wildfire, which was not yet contained by Friday midday, forced the evacuation of about 800 residents. A separate, larger wildfire in southern Spain has burned over 300 square kilometers in the province of Huelva, also necessitating evacuations.
In Germany, all 1,800 residents of the village of Gey in western Germany were evacuated after a wildfire in the nearby Hürtgen forest threatened their homes. Nearly 300 hectares of forest were ablaze, and firefighting efforts were hampered by unexploded ordnance from World War II in the forest. The fire advanced to within 300 meters of Gey, situated near the Belgian border. Germany has set a new record for heat-related deaths this year, with an estimated 12,500 deaths between January 1 and August 2.
Croatia reported one fatality and 14 hospitalizations, seven of whom were in life-threatening condition, from a fire that raged near the coastal town of Omis. More than 1,000 people were evacuated, and 194 individuals, including children, were rescued from the sea and boats as they attempted to flee. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by Friday morning, while other crews headed south to another wildfire that broke out overnight.
Albania has been battling dozens of wildfires in recent weeks, with 11 active fires reported across the country. The largest fire, in the Gure-Lure area, has had its perimeter near residential homes brought under control. Three people have been prosecuted in connection with this fire, which engulfed Lura National Park.
In northern Greece, over 300 vacationers and residents were evacuated by sea after a wildfire swept through a pine forest and threatened seaside homes.
Belgium was anticipating its highest temperature of the summer on Friday, with projections of 37 C (98.6 F) in the capital, Brussels. The neighboring Netherlands also expected to reach 37 C, with the country experiencing severe drought and water shortages in some areas.