ATHENS, Greece – Two firefighters died while battling a forest blaze on the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday as wildfires continued to ravage southern Europe, fuelled by the continent’s fourth major heatwave of the summer.

The men were trapped by flames in their fire engine in the foothills near the western city of Rethymno, state television ERT reported. “Two firefighters fell in the line of duty,” deputy fire department spokesman Yiannis Artopios confirmed.

The fire department said the deaths occurred “during an operation to contain a rural forest fire in the Krya Vrysi area of Rethymno.” Local municipal official Sifis Vavourakis told ERT the fire front stretched over 15km. “The fire is out of control,” he said.

Spain’s historic blaze claims record

Spain has borne the brunt of this summer’s fire crisis, with more than 207 000 hectares burned across the country in 2026. A massive fire at Burgohondo in Ávila province has destroyed over 43 000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire in Spanish history. The blaze forced 40 000 people to flee their homes.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the next 12 hours would be decisive for containment efforts. Significant fires are also burning in the Province of León, where blazes in Castropodame and Murias de Ponjos have each consumed more than 500 hectares.

While some evacuation orders were lifted on Wednesday in Toledo, Madrid, Ávila and Castellón, thousands remain displaced across the country. European assistance has been deployed, with firefighting aircraft sent from Greece and Italy.

France deploys reinforcements

France has seen more than 115 000 hectares burn since the start of the year. Large fires near Bordeaux and in the Gironde region remain stabilised but under close watch, with authorities warning that dry winds and soaring temperatures could reignite the flames. Around 220 000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde area.

A major fire in Biscarrosse on 23 July affected approximately 2 200 hectares and threatened numerous homes. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed some fires had been contained but resources remain stretched. The European Union has deployed additional water-bombing aircraft to assist French efforts.

Portugal and Italy face growing threat

Portugal’s Institute for Sea and Atmosphere has placed large parts of the country under a red fire alert, with some areas at the highest possible warning level. Wildfires have been reported in the north-eastern district of Vila Real and the eastern Guarda area.

In Italy, a wildfire in the southern Puglia region recently forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists from beaches and campgrounds.

Extreme temperatures fuel blazes

The latest heatwave pushed temperatures to 44°C in parts of France on Wednesday, according to Météo-France. Spain’s national weather agency AEMET forecast temperatures of 42°C in the north-east and 39°C in central regions through the end of the week.

Greece largely escaped the worst of the summer heat until last week, when a three-day heatwave saw temperatures reach 43°C in some areas. According to the country’s meteorological service, it was only the third time since 2011 that temperatures exceeded 40°C so late in the season.

Greek fires spread

With winds of up to 74km per hour on Wednesday, fires were also raging on the Greek islands of Paros and Lesbos, and in Messinia and Laconia in the Peloponnese peninsula. Around 10 villages on Paros were evacuated as a precaution, though conditions improved later in the day.

Near the Lesbos town of Plomari, 50 firefighters, 13 engines and six aircraft fought a blaze near a landfill. On Crete, 110 firefighters with 27 fire engines and four aircraft were dispatched to tackle the deadly fire, but winds complicated aerial operations.

Local mayor Yiannis Tatarakis warned: “The wind keeps changing direction, it’s very easy to get trapped.” Six villages had been evacuated by Wednesday evening.

Europe warming faster than global average

The European Forest Fire Information System has signalled that wildfire danger remains extreme across southern and central Europe, with additional risks for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Assistance teams from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia and Turkey have been deployed to support the hardest-hit regions.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating up at approximately twice the global average. Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, with average temperatures 3,06°C above the 1991-2020 average.

Greece faces destructive wildfires almost every summer as prolonged drought, high temperatures and strong winds create ideal conditions for blazes to spread rapidly. Dozens of forest fires have broken out across the country in recent days, though firefighters managed to bring most under control before they caused significant damage.

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