Extreme heat exceeding 40°C has ignited devastating wildfires across southern Europe, forcing mass evacuations and claiming lives while overwhelming firefighting resources. At least three people have died as the Mediterranean region faces its most intense heatwave of the summer, with red alerts active in multiple countries.
Wildfires are raging simultaneously across Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro. Spain faces the most severe situation with over 30 active blazes, including near Madrid and the UNESCO site Las Médulas. Greece battles more than 150 separate fires, particularly on islands like Zakynthos and coastal regions of Achaia where mayor Grigoris Alexopoulos reports ‘irreparable damage’.
The crisis began escalating on August 12, 2025, during record-breaking temperatures. In Spain, an equestrian worker died from severe burns near Madrid, while a 4-year-old Romanian boy succumbed to heatstroke in Sardinia, Italy. A Montenegrin soldier perished when his firefighting tanker overturned. Over 8,000 people have been evacuated across affected nations, including 4,000 in Spain’s Castile and León region and 2,000 from tourist areas near Tarifa.
Extreme weather conditions including temperatures reaching 44°C (111°F) in Seville and southern Portugal, combined with winds over 70km/h, have accelerated fire spread. Nearly 1,000 Spanish soldiers joined firefighting efforts, while Portugal deployed 1,300 firefighters with air support from Morocco. Greece utilizes 5,000 firefighters and international aircraft as rescue boats evacuate trapped beachgoers on Chios.
The heatwave represents the Mediterranean’s new climate reality, with scientists linking intensifying fire seasons to global warming. Health systems are strained under ‘extreme risk’ alerts, with French hospitals preparing for heat-related emergencies and UK authorities issuing health warnings during their fourth heatwave this summer.
Immediate impacts include major transportation disruptions: Turkey closed the Dardanelles Strait and Çanakkale Airport, while thousands of tourists were evacuated from coastal resorts. Cultural heritage sites face threats, and agricultural losses are mounting across wine and olive-producing regions already suffering drought.
Meteorologists warn the crisis will persist through the week, with no significant temperature drop forecasted. Greek authorities anticipate worsening conditions, while Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez cautions citizens about ‘extreme fire risk’. The European Union is coordinating additional air support for Greece as existing firefighting resources are stretched beyond capacity.
Long-term climate adaptation measures are urgently needed as Mediterranean countries face increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Emergency services focus on preventing further casualties while scientists emphasize this pattern will continue without aggressive carbon reduction policies.
