Severe heatwave, which sparked massive forest fires in Mediterranean countries, has killed at least three people and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. On Wednesday, firefighters continued to battle the blazes, while authorities braced for further destruction as temperatures rose above 40°C in some areas.
Fire victims
In Spain, a 50-year-old man died after suffering burns to 98% of his body while trying to rescue horses from a burning stable near Madrid on Monday evening.
In Sardinia, a four-year-old boy found unconscious in a family car died in a Rome hospital from heatstroke, which caused irreversible brain damage.
In Montenegro, one soldier was killed and another seriously injured when a fire engine overturned in the mountains north of Podgorica.
Heatwave as a warning sign of the climate crisis
Scientists warn that the heatwave sweeping across much of Europe is creating ideal conditions for fires and is a warning sign of the climate crisis.
Near the town of Tres Cantos (Madrid), a fire fuelled by winds of up to 70 km/h and destroying about 1,000 hectares remained out of control on Tuesday evening. The bodies of 150 sheep and 18 horses were removed from the region. In the northwestern region of Castile and León, more than 3,700 people were evacuated from 16 municipalities, and one of the fires damaged a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Galicia, the fire destroyed 3,000 hectares in the province of Orense. In the south, in Tarifa, firefighters battled the blaze from the ground and the air, forcing 2,000 residents to evacuate.
“Pre-emergency phase” declared
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior declared a “pre-emergency phase” to coordinate resources. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on the population to exercise extreme caution.
In Portugal, firefighters battled three major fires in the central and northern parts of the country.
Greece requested EU assistance as fires fuelled by storm winds engulfed the western Peloponnese and the tourist islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia. Hotels were temporarily closed in some areas and tourists were evacuated. Despite the involvement of dozens of firefighters, equipment and aircraft, strong winds hampered efforts to extinguish the blazes. Authorities have reported a ‘suspiciously high’ number of fires and are investigating possible arson.
In Albania, there were about 40 fires in 24 hours, and hundreds of firefighters and soldiers extinguished most of them, but more than ten continue to burn. Since the beginning of July, almost 34,000 hectares of forest have been burned, and more than 20 people have been arrested for arson.
In Croatia, about 150 firefighters protected homes near Split.
In the Turkish province of Çanakkale, more than 2,000 people were evacuated and 77 were hospitalised due to smoke inhalation. Over 760 firefighters fought the blaze with the support of aircraft and special equipment. This year, July has been the hottest in the country’s history.
Record temperatures were recorded at several weather stations in southern France. On Monday, the temperature reached 41.6 °C in Bordeaux, while previous historical records were broken in Bergerac, Cognac and Saint-Girons.
