Almost 6,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern, central and southern Spain as wildfires continue to burn amid a heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44 degrees to some parts of the country.
The deadly heat across large parts of Europe has created what scientists have called a “molotov cocktail” of climatic conditions that is fuelling vast wildfires.
A man caught in a fire on Monday night in Tres Cantos, near Madrid, died in hospital after suffering 98 per cent burns. The fire – described by the regional environment minister as having “explosive characteristics because of a dry storm that has brought winds of more than 70km/h” – was being brought under control on Tuesday morning, with 180 people forced to evacuate and spend the night in local sports centres.
In the north-western region of Castilla y León, more than 3,700 people were evacuated from 16 municipalities. Ten fires were still burning on Tuesday and the Unesco world heritage-listed Roman-era mining site at Les Médulas was damaged by the flames.
In the southern town of Tarifa, firefighters and planes were still battling a fire that broke out on Monday, with 2,000 people evacuated.
The blazes have led the interior ministry to declare a “pre-emergency phase” to help co-ordinate emergency resources.
The prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, offered his condolences to the family of the man who died after the Tres Cantos fire, and thanked the emergency services for their “tireless efforts”.
He urged people to recognise the seriousness of the situation. “We’re at extreme risk of forest fires,” he said in a message on X on Tuesday. “Let’s be very careful.”
In neighbouring Portugal, firefighters were battling three large wildfires in the centre and north of the country. Morocco is sending two aircraft to help fight the fires after two Portuguese planes broke down.
In Italy, where temperatures of 40 degrees are expected in Florence later this week, a four-year-old boy died of heatstroke, and a red alert warning was issued for seven major cities, including Bologna and Florence. The boy had been found unconscious in the family’s car in Sardinia and was airlifted to a Rome hospital but died on Monday of irreversible brain damage.
Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes in the Balkans as firefighters battled blazes in Albania, Montenegro and Croatia, where red alerts were announced.
In Albania, hundreds of firefighters and troops had subdued most of the nearly 40 fires that flared up in the past 24 hours, the defence ministry said, but more than a dozen were still active. Since the start of July, nearly 34,000 hectares have been scorched nationwide, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Police say many of the blazes were deliberate, with more than 20 people arrested.
In neighbouring Montenegro, where temperatures soared to 40 degrees, fire crews saved dozens of homes just outside the capital when a fire broke out on Monday.
In Croatia, about 150 firefighters spent the night defending homes from a blaze near the port city of Split.
In the north-western Turkish province of Çanakkale, more than 2,000 people were evacuated and 77 people treated in hospital for smoke inhalation after fires broke out near the tourist village of Guzelyalı, authorities said. Images on Turkish media showed homes and cars ablaze, while more than 760 firefighters, 10 planes, nine helicopters and more than 200 vehicles were deployed to battle the flames.
Turkey had experienced its hottest July since records began 55 years ago.
In southern France, temperature records were broken in at least four weather stations, as the government called for vigilance.
The south-western city of Bordeaux hit a record 41.6 degrees while all-time records were broken at meteorological stations in Bergerac, Cognac and Saint Girons, according to the national weather service, Météo France.
The heatwave, France’s second this summer, began on Friday and was forecast to last until August 19th or 20th. On Monday, 12 French departments were placed on red alert, the highest heat warning, with four more expected on Tuesday. – Guardian/Agencies
