Firefighters struggled against multiple wildfires across Southern Europe on Saturday and Sunday as a record-breaking heatwave gripped the region.
In France’s southern Aude region, about 1,400 firefighters were deployed to prevent the country’s largest wildfire in decades from reigniting after it burned more than 160 square kilometers this week.
The blaze, contained since Thursday, left one person dead and injured 25, including 19 firefighters, officials said. All residents have returned home and roads reopened, but authorities imposed a strict ban on forest access.
“The fight is continuing, firefighters are still working on re-ignition,” Aude prefect Christian Pouget said, while Col. Christophe Magny, head of the Aude firefighters, warned the fire “won’t be extinguished for several weeks” due to lingering hot spots.
Meteo France placed the southern half of the country under “high vigilance” for heat, with temperatures in Aude expected to reach up to 39°C on Saturday.
In Spain, an active wildfire in Avila province that began Friday afternoon kept crews working through the night to keep flames away from roads and rail lines. About 1,000 people were evacuated Sunday in the Castilla y León region as the fire threatened the UNESCO-listed Las Médulas area.
With temperatures nearing 39°C in parts of Spain and Portugal, authorities said fire risk was extremely high. Spain’s national forecaster AEMET expects the extreme heat to last until at least Wednesday.
In Greece, a large wildfire that erupted Friday near Keratea, some 40 km southeast of Athens, continued to sweep eastern and southern Attica through the night, damaging homes and causing one death. Authorities issued evacuation orders as strong winds fanned the flames. At least 260 firefighters supported by 77 vehicles were deployed, with volunteers assisting in affected areas.
Turkey said wildfires in the central districts of Canakkale and the Bayramic area in the west had been largely brought under control. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said teams worked overnight to halt the advance and that cooling operations were under way after the spread was stopped. The fire, which broke out Friday near Yigitler village and spread under strong winds, prompted precautionary evacuations in Sacakli, Ahmetceli, Doganca, Zeytinli and Pitirelli. Authorities relocated 654 residents to safe zones and detained four suspects as investigations continue.
Scientists say climate change is intensifying heat and dryness, increasing wildfire risk across Southern Europe.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization reported this week that extreme temperatures caused about 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, 36% of them in Europe.
In a record July, Turkey logged a national high of 50.5°C, while Sweden and Finland endured unusually long stretches above 30°C, the WMO said.
“Extreme heat is sometimes called the silent killer, but with today’s science, data and technologies, silence is no longer an excuse. Every single death from extreme heat is preventable,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.
The agency estimates that expanding heat-health warning systems in 57 countries could save nearly 100,000 lives a year.
“This is not just a climate issue, it’s a public health emergency,” said Joy Shumake-Guillemot of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme.
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Source: Euronews, PAP, TVN24