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Wildfires Kill Four as Heatwave Scorches Southern Europe

Record drought conditions with temperatures exceeding 40°C have prompted governments to mobilize thousands of firefighters under EU support requests to contain dozens of wildfires.

Cooling down in Berlin on July 2, 2025, during an early summer heatwave across Europe
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Overview

  • National meteorological agencies have issued red heat alerts as temperatures soar above 40°C across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece and the Balkans, breaking multiple regional records.
  • Dozens of active blazes have forced around 2,000 residents to evacuate hotels and homes near Tarifa and threatened heritage sites like Las Médulas in Spain’s Castile and León.
  • At least four fatalities have been confirmed in recent days, including a Spanish stable worker near Madrid, a soldier in Montenegro, and separate deaths in Albania and Catalonia.
  • Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Balkan nations have deployed thousands of firefighters, military units and 16 aircraft, with additional water bombers requested through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
  • EU Copernicus data show record-high smoke and greenhouse gas emissions from ongoing fires, and experts warn the persistent heatwave reflects broader climate-driven drought and wildfire trends.