Firefighters are battling widespread wildfires across southern France and other parts of Europe, with authorities warning that this year’s fire season has begun a month earlier than usual. Early heatwaves in May and June left vegetation exceptionally dry and vulnerable, setting the stage for rapid ignition and spread.
Hundreds of firefighters are currently engaged against blazes that have scorched more than 19,000 hectares across France, Portugal, Spain, and Greece. In southwestern France, near the Spanish border, a major inferno has forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people. More than 700 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, are struggling to contain the fast-moving fire, which has consumed approximately 4,600 hectares since Saturday night; one firefighter and one resident have been injured. Officials caution that strong winds expected Monday could exacerbate the situation. Local authorities have also modified the third stage of the Tour de France, which passes through the affected zone, closing it to spectators to ensure clear access for emergency services.
Fires in Southern France
Elsewhere in the country, roughly 300 firefighters are tackling a wildfire in the mountains of the southeastern Drôme department. Another blaze near Nîmes, in the Gard department, burned over 540 hectares before being brought under control, though it remains active. Approximately 70 people were evacuated, and several homes and vehicles sustained damage. Authorities have urged extreme caution as the region remains under an orange heatwave alert, with temperatures reaching 40°C. Large swathes of France and wider Europe remain on high alert following an unusually early and intense heatwave at the end of June, with forecasters warning that persistently hot, dry conditions continue to elevate the risk of new outbreaks.
‘Long’ Fire Season
“Climate change is here, we are living the consequences, and it is only the start of July,” said French fire service Colonel Eric Belgioino, appealing to residents near the Pyrenees fire to take precautions against sparking new blazes. “The season is going to be long for the soldiers fighting fires. You have to help us,” he pleaded. Regions across France, as well as Spain and Portugal, have elevated heat alerts for the coming days.
A car drives past smoke rising from a fire burning near La Bisbal de l’Emporda, northeastern Spain, 3 July 2026.` © AFP 
Fires Across Europe
In Spain, a fire near the northeastern Costa Brava coast has burned more than 2,200 hectares in a protected natural area over the last two days. Catalan authorities reported late Saturday that the blaze was stable and expected to be fully extinguished during the week, though firefighters warned that rising temperatures would complicate their efforts.
In Portugal, emergency services announced they have contained about 80 percent of a fire that has destroyed roughly 13,000 hectares of forest and scrubland in the north of the country. In Greece, flames from a forest fire tore through two factories in Thessaloniki over the weekend, prompting evacuations in the surrounding area and warnings for residents to keep windows closed. Major fires have also consumed hundreds of hectares of forest, vineyards, and scrubland on the Croatian island of Hvar and near Tale in Albania.
(with AFP)
