Devastating wildfires are raging across Southern Europe, forcing evacuations in Spain and France and claiming the life of a 22-year-old firefighter in France. A new heatwave is forecast to bring temperatures as high as 43C (110F) to the region, exacerbating the crisis.
In France, a young volunteer firefighter died while battling a blaze in the Savoie region of the Alps. The Trevillach wildfire in the Pyrenees-Orientales has consumed 4,900 hectares and led to the evacuation of 10,000 people from their homes. While one fire in the Drôme region, covering over 2,000 hectares, has seen some residents return after it did not advance overnight, it remains uncontained. Two campsites in the Drôme were evacuated. Reinforcements, including sailor-firefighters from Marseille, are being deployed to aid volunteer efforts.
The French foreign office has issued a warning to British tourists, deeming the country a 'high risk' for wildfires during the summer season, which typically runs from April to October. The scale of wildfires in France this year has already doubled compared to the same period last year.
In Spain, wildfires in the Barbate area of Andalusia prompted the urgent evacuation of villas in the Costa del Sol. Approximately 50 firefighters, supported by ten aircraft including helicopters and firefighting planes, are battling the flames. Residents in the Veteranos and Ribera de la Oliva areas, as well as in Grazalema, Cádiz, were evacuated as precautionary measures. Footage showed tourists being moved from hotels and homes as smoke billowed from the Sierra de Grazalema mountain area.
The European Commission has taken proactive measures, pre-positioning a record 777 firefighters from 14 European countries in high-risk areas across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. This deployment is in anticipation of further wildfires.
Scorching heatwaves throughout May and June have left vast areas of land across western Europe parched, increasing their vulnerability. Spain's AEMET weather agency has declared a top-level red heat alert in three eastern regions, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C in Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia. This new heatwave is predicted to last until at least Thursday.
Portugal and France have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to simultaneous wildfires affecting thousands of hectares. The EU has dispatched four waterbombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to assist firefighters near Perpignan, France.