Wildfires continued to spread across parts of France, Spain and Italy on Wednesday, forcing thousands of people from their homes amid soaring temperatures.
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In southwestern France’s Gironde department, more than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight due to a blaze that’s ravaged more than 2,000 hectares in the region, local authorities said.
The fire broke out in the town of Saumos on Wednesday and has advanced southwest towards the areas of Le Porge and Lège Cap-Ferret.
As of Thursday morning, 500 firefighters are tackling the blaze, with aerial reinforcements on the way.
Two firefighters were killed while tackling flames in the Mérignac suburb of Bordeaux on Tuesday.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez met with their families and colleagues on Wednesday to pay tribute to the pair.
“On behalf of the president of the Republic, the government and the entire nation, which owes them so much, I expressed our boundless gratitude and our unwavering support,” he wrote in a post on social media.
Multiple departments in southern France remain under a red alert for forest fires on Thursday, per Météo-France.
Italy
Fires have also broken out in Sicily, where around 6,000 emergency responders, including firefighters, forest guards and civil protection officers have been mobilised to assist.
According to the regional government, 300 of the island’s 344 reported fires had been extinguished as of Wednesday.
“The most critical blazes, where teams from the fire brigade, civil protection and the forestry corps are currently in action, are in Casaboli, Bivona, Alimena, San Cataldo, Galati Mamertino, certain areas of the Madonie Park and the Syracuse area,” it said in a press release.
One firefighter named by officials as Alessandro Marchi died while responding to a fire in San Cataldo, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced.
“He lost his life whilst carrying out his duty, in the service of the community. On behalf of myself and the Ministry of the Interior, I extend my deepest condolences to his family,” Piantedosi said.
Spain
A major wildfire has also been declared to the southwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid, between the towns of Almorox and Villa del Prado.
Video footage posted to social media by Spain’s Civil Guard showed officers going home to home as residents were evacuated from parts of the area.
As of Wednesday night, 88 firefighters, 35 vehicles, and a helicopter had been deployed to help fight the fire.
It comes after a devastating wildfire in Spain’s Guadalajara province had already burnt through 32,000 hectares to the north of Madrid.
According to data from the European Forest Fires Information System, wildfires have burnt around 254,388 hectares across the EU in 2026.
This is higher than the long-term average but remains below the 270,449 hectares that burnt in 2025 over the same period, per the data.