Wildfires are scorching across Europe, with gale-force winds fanning flames deeper into the Athens region, forcing fresh evacuations, while France battles a massive blaze and Spain sees its largest fires finally cease advancing. The crisis has led to multiple firefighter deaths in Greece and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people across the continent.
In Greece, the immediate danger is centered on the western Attica region, where flames are threatening villages and an industrial district near Megara. Violent gusts have hampered firefighting aircraft by preventing them from collecting water. This comes after two firefighters died battling a blaze on Crete earlier in the week, and a third was killed in a separate fire in the Peloponnese.
The Greek prime minister has been briefed on the operations, with particular concern for Porto Germeno, a seaside community. Flames have also forced evacuations on the tourist island of Kefalonia. On the mainland, another fire near Nea Tenedos in Halkidiki is being battled by nearly 50 firefighters and specialized units.
The blaze west of Athens, which began Friday, had affected an estimated 40 to 50 square kilometers by Saturday, according to a wildfire meteorologist. The destruction evokes memories of the 2018 fires east of Athens that killed 104 people.
Meanwhile, France is grappling with its largest wildfire in the Gironde region, which has scorched 420 square kilometers and forced 224,000 people to flee. Although the "megafire" is now contained, meaning its advance has stopped, active pockets continue to burn, and the risk of renewed spread remains due to dry conditions and winds. In Le Porge, about 150 homes have been destroyed. Additional firefighters from Ukraine, Lithuania, and French Polynesia are expected to bolster the efforts.
A separate, uncontained fire in the southeastern Var department has burned through roughly 18 square kilometers, threatening villages among vineyards and olive groves. About 2,500 people have been evacuated from this blaze. France's Prime Minister has announced a national coordinator to oversee reconstruction in fire-ravaged areas.
In Spain, major fires that had prompted a national emergency and killed at least 13 people are no longer advancing. Firefighting units are working to contain the Fermoselle fire in Zamora province. Spain's Prime Minister has called for a national pact to confront wildfires, emphasizing the intensifying destructive power of climate change.
These events are unfolding on a continent warming at more than twice the global average. Scientists have calculated that human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood of the extreme fire conditions seen in France this year. Europe experienced its worst wildfire year on record in 2026, with over 10,000 square kilometers burned, leading to estimated economic losses of about 2 billion euros annually, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.