Climate & Environment
Wildfires force evacuations across Europe as heat and drought intensify
A person was killed in Croatia, hundreds fled a new fire in southwestern France and sea evacuations continued in Greece.
Executive summary
- The emergency: Wildfires forced evacuations in France, Croatia and Greece on Friday as extreme heat and dry landscapes complicated firefighting across Europe.Associated Press
- The casualties: One person was killed near Omiš, Croatia, and 14 people were hospitalized, including seven in life-threatening condition.Associated Press
- The evacuations: More than 500 people left their homes in France's Landes region, more than 1,000 evacuated near Omiš and more than 300 were moved by sea in northern Greece.Associated Press
- The conditions: France has recorded exceptionally dry soils and widespread fire danger, while its Interior Ministry said 116,085 hectares had burned by late July.Météo-FranceFrench Interior Ministry
Wildfires drove new evacuations across Europe on Friday as another period of severe heat met landscapes dried by months of limited rainfall. The most serious reported casualties were near Omiš on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, where one person was killed and 14 were hospitalized, seven of them in life-threatening condition, according to the Associated Press.Associated Press
The Croatian fire forced more than 1,000 people from their homes. In northern Greece, authorities evacuated more than 300 residents and vacationers by sea after flames moved through pine forest toward coastal homes. France ordered more than 500 people to leave Luglon in the Landes region as hundreds of firefighters deployed against a new overnight blaze.Associated Press
The French fire was one of several burning around the country, including in regions that are normally cooler and wetter. France's Interior Ministry said 116,085 hectares had burned nationwide by July 27 and described a response force that included 3,500 personnel and more than 700 specialized vehicles in reinforcement columns.Associated PressFrench Interior Ministry
Météo-France reported in July that national soil moisture had fallen to an exceptionally low level for that point in summer, below comparable readings from 1976, 2022 and 2025. The agency said persistent heat, scarce rainfall and very low humidity had created exceptional fire-danger conditions across much of the country.Météo-France
Fire crews also remained active in England after the country recorded its hottest day of the year. The Associated Press reported that July was the driest in England and Wales since records began in 1836, leaving vegetation unusually combustible and expanding the geography of the European fire emergency.Associated Press
The active fires, evacuation totals and casualty figures remain subject to change as crews reach damaged areas and local authorities complete assessments. Forecast heat, wind and the condition of dry vegetation will determine whether containment improves or additional communities face evacuation.Associated PressMétéo-France