Wildfires: Which countries in Europe and the Mediterranean have been affected in the past week?

Ross McGuinness and Andy Wells
Updated ·8 min read
Flames in the vicinity of the municipality of Afaro, on August 17, 2023, in Afaro, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain). The forest fire declared in the bush area in Arafo is
Flames in the vicinity of the municipality of Afaro in Afaro, Tenerife, Canary Islands. (Alamy)

What's happening? Around 4,500 people have been ordered to flee their homes after a wildfire broke out on the island of Tenerife, spanning 14 miles as firefighters attempt to contain the blaze.

"This is probably the most complicated blaze we have had on the Canary Islands, if not ever, in at least the last 40 years," said regional leader Fernando Clavijo.

He had previously explained in a press conference on Wednesday night that the outlook was "not positive", describing the fire as "out of control".

“Our goal for tonight is defensive, so that the fire does not continue its advance. We will carry out operations to protect residents’ property,” he said.

At least 250 firefighters are tackling the wildfire, while 14 firefighting aircraft have been deployed.

The blaze follows a summer of wildfire outbreaks across the continent that have hit many parts of southern Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as North Africa, as more countries endure soaring temperatures amid a summer heatwave.

Greece has been one of the worst-affected countries, with more than 21,000 people evacuated from the islands of Rhodes and Corfu after the spread of forest fires.

Portugal and Croatia have also been affected by wildfires, prompting evacuations.

Follow the latest live coverage of the Greek wildfires here

The death toll also continues to rise, with at least 40 people dead across Algeria, Italy and Greece.

Algeria has the heaviest losses, with 34 people dying during an evacuation in Bejaia, east of Algiers, although the fires are subsiding and people have started returning to their homes.

Two pilots died on the Greek island of Evia on Tuesday when their firefighting plane crashed into a ravine. The burned remains of a male victim were also found on the island.

On the Italian island of Sicily, a couple in their 70s were found dead in a holiday home ravaged by flames, while an 88-year-old woman also died near to the island’s capital, Palermo.

A number of other countries have also been fighting wildfires amid high temperatures.

Yahoo News UK looks at the European countries that have been hit by wildfires this summer:

Croatia

in mid-July, more than 100 firefighters battled wildfires that were spreading in the area south of the southern Croatian city of Dubrovnik, with strong southerly winds preventing deployment of aircraft and landmines exploding.

Emergency services were concerned that the flames would reach houses, with planes dropping water to assist in the efforts to put the blaze out.

Firefighting unit commander Stjepan Simovic said at the time: “It’s been a long night but we managed to stave off the part (of the fire) that is important because of the houses.

“We must be careful because the wind has started to pick up and the fire can grow again.”

Around 130 firefighters from across the country battled the fires throughout the night.
Around 130 firefighters battled the fires.

Local media reported that the fires caused detonations of landmines left from the 1990s war on a nearby hill, but HVZ could not confirm that.

Another bushfire occurred in the Split-Dalmatian county, with 65 firefighters and three aircraft battling the flames.

Algeria

A general view on burned houses in the village of de Oeud Das in Bejaia east of Algiers, Algeria, 25 July 2023. The Algerian Ministry of the Interior announced at least 34 people died, including 24 civilians and 10 members of the National Army and 26 people are injured in multiple forest fires across the country (Photo by Billel Bensalem/APP/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Houses lie burned in the village of de Oeud Das in Bejaia, east of Algiers, Algeria. (Getty)

Wildfires are continuing to burn in Algeria, with at least 37 people killed and 200 injured in the blazes.

There have been around 100 wildfires in 16 provinces in the country, with 1,500 people evacuated from their homes as a result.

Around 8,000 firefighters had been battling to bring the flames under control, with the fires in the Kbylie region spreading to residential areas in coastal towns as a result of high winds.

Algerian state TV said that they had contained the bush fire that had been raging in its forests, as temperatures in northern Algeria reached 48C.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fires.

Tunisia

People inspect destruction at the remains of a farm in the aftermath of a forest fire near the town of Melloula in northwestern Tunisia close to the border with Algeria on July 26, 2023. At least 300 people were evacuated by sea and by land from Melloula, according to the Tunisian national guard, as fires raged again there on July 24. A severe heatwave has been reflected across much of southern Europe and northern Africa, killing dozens and forced mass evacuations. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)
People inspect destruction at the remains of a farm in the aftermath of a forest fire near the town of Melloula in northwestern Tunisia. (Getty)

Strong winds fanned fires from Algeria to neighbouring Tunisia, forcing the closure of two border crossings.

Fires also broke out in other regions of the country including Bizerte, Beja and Siliana regions.

However, Tunisian firefighters later said they had completely contained the fires that broke out in a number of regions of the country, with the help of members of the Algerian army and firefighting planes from Spain.

Tunisian interior minister Kamel Feki later told parliament that no loss of life had been recorded and that 600 residents who were evacuated had all returned to their homes.

Greece

Wildfires have abated on the Greek island of Rhodes, where more than 20,000 were evacuated from homes and hotels.

Fires burning since 19 July had spread to the coastal resorts on the south east of the island, leaving a scorched scar across the island before authorities said the blazes had been brought under control.

The wildfires prompted tour operators from across Europe to temporarily drop flights and tour packages to the island, which normally sees about 1.5 million foreign visitors arrive during the summer.

A firefighting plane makes a water drop as a wildfire burns near the village of Vati, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A firefighting plane makes a water drop as a wildfire burns near the village of Vati, on the island of Rhodes, Greece. (Reuters)
Wildfires burn the forests near the village of Vati, just north of the coastal town of Gennadi, in the southern part of the Greek island of Rhodes, on July 25, 2023. Some 30,000 people fled the flames on Rhodes during the weekend, the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation as the Greek Prime Minister warned that the heat-battered nation was
Wildfires burn the forests near the village of Vati, Rhodes, Greece. (AFP via Getty Images)
Greek firefighters work to extinguish wildfires near the village of Vati, just north of the coastal town of Gennadi, in the southern part of the Greek island of Rhodes, on July 25, 2023. Some 30,000 people fled the flames on Rhodes during the weekend, the country's largest-ever wildfire evacuation as the Greek Prime Minister warned that the heat-battered nation was
Firefighters near the village of Vati in Rhodes. (AFP via Getty Images)

Two people were killed in central Greece after wildfires caused by strong winds and temperatures of 40C forced a second wave of evacuations.

More than 60 wildfires erupted across the country several weeks ago, the fire brigade said, with officials ordering the evacuation of several communities in the hard-hit area of Magnesia, a coastal area north of Athens.

Dozens of firefighters, assisted by 15 fire engines, battled the flames as they threatened the industrial zone of the city of Volos, the regional capital.

A farm is in flames during a wildfire in Velestino, Magnisia, Greece on July 26, 2023 (Photo by Nephele Nomikou / SOOC / SOOC via AFP) (Photo by NEPHELE NOMIKOU/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)
A farm lies in flames during a wildfire in Velestino, Magnisia, Greece, on Wednesday. (Getty)

A separate wildfire flared near the city of Lamia, south of Volos. Residents of several settlements were told to leave their homes.

About 2,500 people were evacuated because of fires on the island of Corfu on Sunday, 23 July.

Local officials claimed the fires on Corfu were started by arsonists.

Wildfires also burned on the island of Evia, east of Athens, while a plane fighting wildfires on the island crashed with at least two people on board.

Italy

Three people were reported to have died on the southern Italian island of Sicily, after temperatures reached 47C and severe storms took their tool.

Dramatic eyewitness video showed flames nearing a highway as firefighters raced against time to put off the wildfires.

Palermo airport was forced to close for several hours due to blazes.

Watch: Firefighters in Sicily battle wildfires as temperatures soar

(Aeroporto di Palermo)
Palermo airport closed for a time after wildfires reached the perimeter. (Aeroporto di Palermo)

Italy has been severely impacted by the heatwave across southern Europe, and 16 of its cities were put on red alert, including Palermo and Catania on Sicily.

Italy wildfires force airport to close as temperatures soar to 47C (Yahoo News UK, 3 mins)

Turkey

Firefighters battled a wildfire near the seaside resort of Kemer in Turkey, as 16 wildfires hit the country in late July.

Turkish officials said 11 aircraft and 22 helicopters tackled the Kemer blaze, which burned 120 hectares of woodland.

A local hospital was evacuated as a precautionary measure and six people were admitted to hospital because of smoke inhalation

France

France's Mediterranean coastline also saw wildfires break out after several days of scorching temperatures, with firefighters bringing a blaze under control on Monday between Saint-André, near the Spanish border, and Argeles-sur-Mer.

Thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuated, while one firefighter was seriously injured during the fire.

The island of Corsica also saw fires break out in July, following high winds fanning the flames, with several events cancelled as a result.

Spain

As well as the recent blaze in Tenerife, firefighters have also dealt with a blaze in Gran Canaria this summer, forcing authorities to remove several hundred villagers from their homes, shut three roads and deploy helicopters to contain the blaze.

The flames also came within metres of antennae linked to air traffic control.

A wildfire rages, in the area of Pico de las Nieves, on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria, Spain July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
A wildfire in the area of Pico de las Nieves, on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria, Spain. (Reuters)

Antonio Morales, head of the Island Council of Gran Canaria, told reporters about 100 firefighters and nine aircraft were working to put out the blaze that has so far burned through 200 hectares of forest but no buildings have been harmed.

The Spanish islands of Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca were also on high alert for the risk of fires.

Portugal

More than 600 firefighters were deployed to put out a fire in a national park in Cascais, close to the capital Lisbon in late July, also tackling a blaze in Odemira on 8 August amid the country's third heatwave of the summer.

CASCAIS, PORTUGAL - JULY 26: A Kamov 32A11BC firefighting helicopter drops water over smoldering areas in the aftermath of a large forest fire where still on the ground remain 492 firefighters, supported by 190 vehicles and two firefighting helicopters on July 26, 2023 in Cascais, Portugal. A fire with two active fronts in a forest area broke out on July 25 around 4pm in the locality of Zambujeiro, Alcabideche, Cascais Municipality. Vehicles traffic were for hours blocked between the Alvide and Cascais junctions on the A5 highway in both directions. Europe is suffering a wave of forest fires due to high temperatures in the continent. (Photo by Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
A firefighting helicopter drops water over smouldering areas in the aftermath of a large forest fire in Cascais, Portugal. (Corbis via Getty Images)

In some areas of the country, temperatures hit 46C earlier this month, and the country is also facing widespread drought, with some 90% of the country affected, after an unusually hot and dry April.

Watch: Rhodes residents fight wildfires with towels and branches