PERPIGNAN, France — Firefighters battled multiple fast-moving wildfires across southern Europe on Monday as blazes driven by high temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions forced thousands of people to evacuate in France, Spain, Portugal and Greece, prompting European authorities to mobilize cross-border emergency assistance.
The largest fire was burning in the foothills of the French Pyrenees near Perpignan, where more than 700 firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, were trying to contain a blaze that had burned about 4,600 hectares and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents from roughly two dozen communities, according to French authorities. Five people, including a firefighter, were reported injured.
France requested assistance through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, prompting the European Commission to deploy four rescEU firefighting aircraft from Sweden and Cyprus. The Commission said Portugal had also activated the mechanism, receiving firefighters, vehicles and aircraft from neighboring EU countries as multiple fires burned simultaneously.
In northeastern Spain, firefighters continued efforts to contain a wildfire that burned around 2,200 hectares in Catalonia's Les Gavarres protected area. Authorities also evacuated about 500 people after another fire spread into the Sierra de Espadán natural park in Castellón province. Catalan officials said weather conditions would remain a key factor in containment efforts.
Portugal's emergency services said firefighters had brought about 80% of a major wildfire in the Vouzela area under control after it scorched roughly 13,000 hectares of forest and scrubland. Hundreds of firefighters remained on the scene as crews worked to prevent flare-ups.
In Greece, authorities responded to dozens of wildfires over the weekend, including blazes near Thessaloniki that damaged industrial facilities and prompted warnings for nearby residents to remain indoors because of smoke. Fire officials reported nearly 100 fires over a 48-hour period as temperatures climbed again following an intense early-summer heatwave.
European officials said the fires followed an exceptionally hot June that left vegetation unusually dry across much of southern Europe. The European Commission said it had pre-positioned 777 firefighters from 14 countries, along with a fleet of 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters, to support member states during the wildfire season.
Authorities across the affected countries urged residents to follow evacuation orders and avoid activities that could ignite new fires, while firefighting operations continued and weather forecasts pointed to renewed heat in several regions later this week.
