Wildfires raged across Europe this week, fueled by record-breaking heat and drought that scientists attribute to climate change, forcing mass evacuations and claiming lives. A devastating wildfire engulfed homes in a Croatian resort town overnight, killing one person, injuring 40, and leading to the evacuation of 1,200 residents and tourists.
In Greece, hundreds more were evacuated from a beach resort in northern Greece as flames consumed a nearby forest, turning the sky dark gray. On the Halkidiki peninsula, south of Thessaloniki, over 300 people were evacuated by boat by the coast guard and fire brigade. The operation involved more than 140 firefighters, nine aircraft, and seven helicopters.
France also battled blazes, with 525 people evacuated from the village of Luglon in the southwestern Landes region. This area has already experienced significant fires this summer, including one that devastated forests near Bordeaux last month and displaced a quarter of a million people.
Across the continent, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service warned of 'very extreme' wildfire conditions stretching across central and eastern Europe, with additional high-risk areas in Britain, Ireland, northern France, and southern Sweden. The average high temperature across Western Europe on Friday was forecast to be 31.2C (88.2F), significantly above the 1961-1990 average.
In Spain, rescue services worked to safeguard historical artifacts from a monastery threatened by a wildfire in Aragón. Earlier in the week, a large fire in Huelva, southern Spain, had already burned approximately 31,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of 700 people. Firefighting planes in Spain have already logged over 8,200 flight hours this year, surpassing the total for 2025.
Germany was not spared, with all 1,800 residents of the village of Gey in western Germany evacuated due to a wildfire in the nearby Hürtgen forest. Nearly 300 hectares of forest were ablaze, and firefighting efforts were complicated by unexploded ordnance from World War II. Germany has recorded a new record for heat-related deaths this year, with an estimated 12,500 fatalities between January 1 and August 2.
Belgium and the Netherlands were bracing for their highest temperatures of the summer. Belgium's capital, Brussels, was expected to reach 37C (98.6F), while the Netherlands is experiencing severe drought conditions.
Albania has been battling dozens of wildfires, with 11 active fires reported. In one instance, three people were prosecuted in connection with a fire that engulfed Lura National Park.
The intense heat and drought are also severely impacting agriculture. Analysts predict that France's maize harvest could be halved this year, and overall European Union production may fall to its lowest in decades.