PARIS: Hundreds of firefighters battled major wildfires across France, Spain, and Portugal on Sunday as scorching temperatures fueled blazes that have already burned more than 17,000 hectares of land.
The fires have swept through an area roughly twice the size of Manhattan, with temperatures in some parts of the three countries expected to reach 40°C, adding to the risk of further outbreaks.
The latest fires come as Europe continues to grapple with the effects of an intense summer heatwave. Authorities reported thousands of excess deaths during one of the continent’s most severe heatwaves in June.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned that this year’s wildfire season has begun about a month earlier than usual, raising concerns that prolonged heat and dry conditions could lead to a particularly destructive summer.
Depuis samedi soir, nos forces de sécurité civile sont pleinement mobilisées face à un important incendie de forêt qui touche les Pyrénées-Orientales. Près de 1 000 hectares ont été parcourus.
Plusieurs plans communaux de sauvegarde ont été activés afin de coordonner l’action…
— Laurent Nuñez (@NunezLaurent) July 5, 2026
Nearly 600 firefighters have been deployed in France to contain a wildfire that has burned more than 1,000 hectares on a mountainside near Trévillach, about 36 kilometers east of the southern city of Perpignan.
Authorities have closed roads in the area and instructed local mayors to open emergency shelters in case residents are forced to evacuate their homes.
Wildfire burns more than 2,200 hectares in Spain
A wildfire near Spain’s northeastern Costa Brava coast burned more than 2,200 hectares in just two days, with firefighters warning on Sunday that rising temperatures and numerous “smoking hotspots” within the perimeter would make containment efforts “complicated.”
Meanwhile, Greek authorities on Sunday urged residents in parts of Thessaloniki to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed as toxic smoke from a burning recycling plant, ignited by a wildfire on the city’s outskirts, spread across the area.
In central Portugal, more than 1,200 firefighters, supported by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft, continued battling a wildfire in the Vouzela region that has been burning since Thursday. The blaze had scorched around 12,000 hectares, according to the European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping service.
The European Union said Spain deployed 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles to assist Portugal, while firefighting aircraft from Spain and Italy were also sent to help contain the blaze.
Fast-moving wildfire
A fast-moving wildfire that broke out at a recycling plant near the Thessaloniki suburb of Oraiokastro, Greece on Saturday evening prompted evacuation alerts for three nearby suburbs and a facility housing 157 people with special needs.
Fueled by strong winds, the blaze spread rapidly, with around 160 firefighters battling the flames overnight until water-dropping aircraft joined the operation at first light, according to Greece’s fire department.
Oraiokastro Mayor Pandelis Tsakiris told state broadcaster ERT that several homes and businesses were damaged in the fire. He said the full extent of the damage would be determined after authorities complete a detailed assessment.
