by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Worthy News) – Wildfires raged across southern Europe on Monday, forcing mass evacuations as temperatures climbed again following a June heatwave linked to thousands of excess deaths.
The blazes in France prompted officials to close parts of Monday’s Tour de France stage to spectators after earlier warnings that sections of the race could even be canceled if fire conditions worsened.
Scientists with World Weather Attribution said the deadly June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change.
Other experts, however, have also cited urbanization, land-use changes, and additional factors that can intensify extreme heat in populated areas.
Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes that had devastated more than 190 square kilometers (73 square miles) of land—an area more than twice the size of Manhattan—across Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, and Albania.
HEATWAVE DEATH TOLL RISES
As blazes spread, authorities were still assessing the human toll of the late-June heatwave, which has been linked to more than 4,700 excess deaths across Europe. France recorded 2,025 excess deaths, Belgium about 1,200, and the Netherlands about 480, while Spain separately attributed 1,029 deaths to the extreme heat. Most of those who died were elderly people, though officials cautioned that the final toll could rise as additional data become available.
Temperatures are rising again, with highs forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of southern Europe still recovering from the aftermath of the record-breaking heatwave, raising fears that emergency crews already stretched to the limit could face even more dangerous conditions in the days ahead.
One of the worst fires was burning near the southern French city of Perpignan, where about 700 firefighters, backed by water-bombing aircraft, battled what authorities described as a “gigantic” blaze spreading through rugged, hard-to-reach terrain.
More than 10,000 residents were evacuated as strong winds, intense heat, and exceptionally dry conditions fueled flames that nearly tripled in size since early Sunday, scorching some 46 square kilometers (18 square miles) of land.
The fire came within 300 meters (980 feet) of homes, leaving a firefighter and a resident seriously injured, officials said.
FRANCE BATTLES GIGANTIC BLAZE
“We were taken aback by how fast it spread. It was staggering, bordering on panic,” said Patrice, a 53-year-old resident of the village of Trevillach, who declined to give his surname.
Around 300 firefighters were also battling another wildfire in the mountainous Drôme department in southeastern France.
French officials said Monday’s third stage of the Tour de France, after crossing from Spain into France through the Pyrenees, would take place without spectators on French territory because of the wildfire threat.
Regional prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said the stage would be limited to riders and essential race vehicles.
“The public is asked not to go near the route or the finish area,” he told reporters. “In other words, and I regret having to say this, it will be, in France at least, a stage of the Tour de France without spectators.”
TOUR DE FRANCE DISRUPTED
The European Union announced it was dispatching four additional water-bombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to reinforce French firefighting efforts around Perpignan.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deployment underscored Europe’s commitment to helping countries confront increasingly destructive wildfire seasons.
In Portugal, emergency services said they had brought about 80 percent of a wildfire in the north of the country under control after it devastated about 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of forest and scrubland.
Spain, Italy, and other European partners have sent firefighters, aircraft, and equipment to assist Portuguese authorities under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
In Spain’s northeastern Costa Brava region, a wildfire has burned more than 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) in two days, with firefighters warning that rising temperatures and numerous “smoking hotspots” inside the fire perimeter were complicating efforts to contain the blaze.
FIREFIGHTERS STRETCHED ACROSS EUROPE
Nearly 50,000 residents were either ordered to remain indoors or evacuated, while police detained a man suspected of accidentally starting the fire with sparks from an angle grinder during roadside work.
Elsewhere, regions across Portugal, Spain, and southern France have issued fresh heat alerts, with forecasters warning that the latest heatwave is expected to spread farther north and could persist until next weekend.
In Greece, flames from a forest fire tore through two factories in Thessaloniki over the weekend, forcing evacuations and prompting authorities to urge residents to keep windows and doors closed because of toxic smoke.
West of Athens, more than 150 firefighters, supported by 22 aircraft, specialist units, and volunteers, continued battling another major wildfire burning through pine forests near Mandra.
Police also said they arrested a 76-year-old man suspected of accidentally igniting a separate blaze after sparks from his vehicle reportedly set dry vegetation alight.
GREECE, CROATIA ALSO HIT
Major fires also destroyed hundreds of hectares of forests, vineyards, and scrubland on the Croatian island of Hvar and near Tale in Albania, authorities said.
The European Union has expanded cross-border firefighting assistance this summer, pre-positioning emergency crews and aircraft across southern Europe.
The support comes as forecasters warn that another spell of extreme heat could prolong one of Europe’s most destructive wildfire seasons in recent years.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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Massive Wildfires Sweep Southern Europe After Heatwave Killed Thousands
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Worthy News) – Wildfires raged across southern Europe on Monday, forcing mass evacuations as temperatures climbed again following a June heatwave linked to thousands of excess deaths.
The blazes in France prompted officials to close parts of Monday’s Tour de France stage to spectators after earlier warnings that sections of the race could even be canceled if fire conditions worsened.
Scientists with World Weather Attribution said the deadly June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change.
Other experts, however, have also cited urbanization, land-use changes, and additional factors that can intensify extreme heat in populated areas.
Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes that had devastated more than 190 square kilometers (73 square miles) of land—an area more than twice the size of Manhattan—across Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, and Albania.
HEATWAVE DEATH TOLL RISES
As blazes spread, authorities were still assessing the human toll of the late-June heatwave, which has been linked to more than 4,700 excess deaths across Europe. France recorded 2,025 excess deaths, Belgium about 1,200, and the Netherlands about 480, while Spain separately attributed 1,029 deaths to the extreme heat. Most of those who died were elderly people, though officials cautioned that the final toll could rise as additional data become available.
Temperatures are rising again, with highs forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of southern Europe still recovering from the aftermath of the record-breaking heatwave, raising fears that emergency crews already stretched to the limit could face even more dangerous conditions in the days ahead.
One of the worst fires was burning near the southern French city of Perpignan, where about 700 firefighters, backed by water-bombing aircraft, battled what authorities described as a “gigantic” blaze spreading through rugged, hard-to-reach terrain.
More than 10,000 residents were evacuated as strong winds, intense heat, and exceptionally dry conditions fueled flames that nearly tripled in size since early Sunday, scorching some 46 square kilometers (18 square miles) of land.
The fire came within 300 meters (980 feet) of homes, leaving a firefighter and a resident seriously injured, officials said.
FRANCE BATTLES GIGANTIC BLAZE
“We were taken aback by how fast it spread. It was staggering, bordering on panic,” said Patrice, a 53-year-old resident of the village of Trevillach, who declined to give his surname.
Around 300 firefighters were also battling another wildfire in the mountainous Drôme department in southeastern France.
French officials said Monday’s third stage of the Tour de France, after crossing from Spain into France through the Pyrenees, would take place without spectators on French territory because of the wildfire threat.
Regional prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said the stage would be limited to riders and essential race vehicles.
“The public is asked not to go near the route or the finish area,” he told reporters. “In other words, and I regret having to say this, it will be, in France at least, a stage of the Tour de France without spectators.”
TOUR DE FRANCE DISRUPTED
The European Union announced it was dispatching four additional water-bombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to reinforce French firefighting efforts around Perpignan.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deployment underscored Europe’s commitment to helping countries confront increasingly destructive wildfire seasons.
In Portugal, emergency services said they had brought about 80 percent of a wildfire in the north of the country under control after it devastated about 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of forest and scrubland.
Spain, Italy, and other European partners have sent firefighters, aircraft, and equipment to assist Portuguese authorities under the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.
In Spain’s northeastern Costa Brava region, a wildfire has burned more than 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) in two days, with firefighters warning that rising temperatures and numerous “smoking hotspots” inside the fire perimeter were complicating efforts to contain the blaze.
FIREFIGHTERS STRETCHED ACROSS EUROPE
Nearly 50,000 residents were either ordered to remain indoors or evacuated, while police detained a man suspected of accidentally starting the fire with sparks from an angle grinder during roadside work.
Elsewhere, regions across Portugal, Spain, and southern France have issued fresh heat alerts, with forecasters warning that the latest heatwave is expected to spread farther north and could persist until next weekend.
In Greece, flames from a forest fire tore through two factories in Thessaloniki over the weekend, forcing evacuations and prompting authorities to urge residents to keep windows and doors closed because of toxic smoke.
West of Athens, more than 150 firefighters, supported by 22 aircraft, specialist units, and volunteers, continued battling another major wildfire burning through pine forests near Mandra.
Police also said they arrested a 76-year-old man suspected of accidentally igniting a separate blaze after sparks from his vehicle reportedly set dry vegetation alight.
GREECE, CROATIA ALSO HIT
Major fires also destroyed hundreds of hectares of forests, vineyards, and scrubland on the Croatian island of Hvar and near Tale in Albania, authorities said.
The European Union has expanded cross-border firefighting assistance this summer, pre-positioning emergency crews and aircraft across southern Europe.
The support comes as forecasters warn that another spell of extreme heat could prolong one of Europe’s most destructive wildfire seasons in recent years.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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