Wildfires are ripping through bone dry vegetation from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean fueled by an extremely hot summer.
Greece, France, Spain and Turkey are all battling some of the worst blazes which have led to major evacuations.
Greece – Approximately 18,200 acres of land have been burned by the multiple fires that broke out in southern Rethymno, Crete. Fire crews having been focusing on the Agia Paraskevi front, while a new fire broke out in Asomatos. The fire has spread to the Kourtaliotiko Gorge and burned part of the palm groves in Preveli.
New wildfires have also broken out in Achaia, in the northwestern Peloponnese, and in the Xiromero area of Aetolia-Acarnania, a region in western Greece.
France – Firefighters in southwestern France were working to control the last hot spots of a massive wildfire on Friday that has burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced thousands out of their homes.
The blazes that burned 42,000 hectares (about 162 square miles) of pine forest and touristic resort areas in Bordeaux’s Gironde region on the Atlantic coast haven’t spread for several days.
Spain – Currently the worst situation is in Castellón where the Vall d’Uixó fire remains out of control into its seventh day. The blaze has already burned 9,598 hectares and forced the evacuation of 5,200 people, although recent progress has allowed 2,800 residents to return.
In Zamora, the situation with the devastating Fermoselle fire (11,000 hectares) improved significantly overnight with the imminent return of residents from 12 of the 14 evacuated towns and the end of lockdowns.
In León, the Veguellina fire remains severe (with approximately 300 evacuees), while the situation with fires in San Cipriano and Valdelaloba is improving.
Turkey –Active fires in Antalya’s Kaş district and Muğla province have forced evacuations and road closures as extreme heat fanned blazes across six provinces.