French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said wildfires that swept across France were now under control. Authorities warned that risks remained as Greece and Spain continued battling active blazes across parts of Europe.
In the Gironde department, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, authorities said the situation had improved after the country’s largest wildfire since 1949 erupted in a pine forest near Bordeaux.
The blaze scorched around 42,000 hectares (420 square kilometres) of land which is four times the size of Paris or more than 58,823 standard football pitches, and it destroyed more than 200 homes and forced the evacuation of more than 200,000 people.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said wildfires had burned 119,000 hectares across France since the beginning of the year. Lecornu warned that preventive measures could be reinstated if weather conditions worsened.
While France saw improvements, wildfires continued to spread elsewhere in Europe.
In Greece, gale-force winds fuelled fires across several areas on Saturday (1 August), forcing evacuations as authorities warned of extreme wildfire risks in parts of the country.
Near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, firefighters, police and ambulances withdrew as flames and smoke engulfed forests and shrubland. Officials said strong winds, with gusts exceeding 73 kph, made the fire difficult to control.
Authorities ordered evacuations in areas including Agia Paraskevi, Kryo Pigadi and Agios Nektarios, while helicopters dropped water and fire retardants to slow the spread.
In southeastern France, a wildfire in the Var department reignited after being brought under control, forcing authorities to evacuate nearly 2,500 people on Friday (31 July). Officials said the fire had burned around 1,800 hectares before stabilising again.
Spain also faced several wildfire hotspots, with conditions worsening in the northern province of Leon. In Zamora and Castellon, however, some fires improved, allowing evacuated residents to return home.
Scientists have linked Europe’s worsening wildfire seasons to prolonged heatwaves, dry conditions and climate change, which have increased the risk and intensity of fires across the region.
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