Forest Fires in Southern Europe: Situation Eases and New Operations Begin

High temperatures, dry conditions, and, in some cases, strong winds are hampering firefighting efforts. Firefighters also lost their lives on the Mediterranean island of Crete, a popular destination for vacationers.

* FRANCE

On the French Atlantic coast, another 84,000 people can return to their homes as the wildfire situation has noticeably eased. As the prefect of Bordeaux, Sophie Brocas, decided this morning, residents of nine towns that had been evacuated as a precaution can now return home. A total of 224,000 people had been evacuated in the region. On Tuesday evening, 60,000 people were already able to return to three evacuated communities. French emergency crews are also continuing to battle wildfires in southern France and Burgundy.

According to media reports, Hollywood star George Clooney ("Syriana") and his family are among those who had to evacuate their homes due to the fires. They reportedly left their estate in the southern French town of Brignoles, according to reports in U.S. magazines such as “People” and “Us Weekly,” among others.

* SPAIN

Now that the situation surrounding the devastating wildfires around Madrid has eased, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has lifted the national state of emergency. The fires in the regions of Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo have now been largely contained, and most evacuations and lockdown measures have been lifted.

There was also relief in the province of Castellón in the eastern part of the country: According to authorities, the large wildfire in the Vall d'Uixó area north of Valencia is no longer spreading. Thousands of people had to be evacuated there as well. In total, the flames consumed 9,300 hectares in that area.

This appears to have brought the worst wildfire situation in decades under control for the time being. In the province of Ávila alone, the flames destroyed some 50,000 hectares of forest and scrubland—according to officials, it was the largest wildfire since official records began in 1968.

In light of a new heat wave with extreme temperatures, Sánchez nevertheless urged the public to exercise special caution. Several of the most severe fires were caused by carelessness.

Despite the situation easing at the largest fire hotspots, wildfires continue to rage in Spain. According to the state broadcaster RTVE, new fires broke out in the northwest of the country in the province of León, as well as in a nature park in the province of Zamora near the border with Portugal. Due to significant risks to residents, 12 villages and a campground in the area were evacuated by Thursday morning, the broadcaster reported. About 1,000 people were affected. However, firefighters and first responders have since managed to contain the flames on two fronts, a spokesperson for the local government said.

* GREECE

The wildfire in the south of the Greek island of Crete continues to rage. Strong winds with speeds of more than 125 kilometers per hour are hampering the deployment of firefighting planes and helicopters, according to the Greek Meteorological Service (EMY). The winds are not expected to subside until the weekend. “We have some difficult days ahead of us,” said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the ERT television network.

So far, two firefighters have lost their lives in Crete, and another died on the Peloponnese Peninsula. More than 8,000 people were evacuated to safety from the area around the popular resort town of Agia Galini on Crete’s south coast. According to reporters on the scene, vacationers were able to return on Thursday.

Compared to Spain and France, Greece has so far been largely spared from large-scale wildfires this summer. Authorities attribute this, among other things, to the fact that there have been no prolonged heat waves so far and that fire prevention measures have been significantly expanded following the devastating fires of recent years. A total of 85 firefighting planes and helicopters are on standby. In addition, more than 100 drone bases are designed to detect fires early, while four satellites developed specifically for firefighting monitor particularly dry forest and brush areas.

However, according to the authorities, the fires in Crete show that even modern technology and additional firefighting aircraft reach their limits when gusts of wind fan the flames and aerial firefighting operations are virtually impossible.

* TURKEY

In Turkey, too, emergency crews continue to battle numerous wildfires in the south and west of the country, which are being fanned by strong winds. Efforts are currently underway to bring the fires in the provinces of Antalya, Muğla, and Balıkesir fully under control, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said, according to the state broadcaster TRT. Three other fires have already been brought under control. Overnight, another forest fire broke out in the Fethiye district of Mugla province.