Overview

• Thousands of firefighters and seven water-bombing aircraft are tackling the largest wave of Iberian wildfires this year, with active blazes in northern Portugal’s Arouca region and central Spain’s Avila and Caceres provinces.
• Turkey has evacuated more than 3,500 residents around Bursa and recorded at least 17 fire-related deaths since late June, with fires fanned by strong winds and temperatures above 45°C.
• Bulgarian authorities have battled over 160 wildfires, detained a 33-year-old suspect on terrorism charges and estimate that human causes account for about 90 percent of their fires.
• Support from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has brought helicopters and firefighting planes from Sweden, Italy, Hungary and other member states to reinforce national operations.
• Meteorological agencies warn that extreme heat and drought conditions will persist into October, heightening the risk of further wildfire outbreaks.