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Wildfires continue in Greece, France as Spain's major blazes halt advance

Gale-force winds are driving wildfires deeper into Greece's Attica region, forcing new evacuations, while France battles contained but still-burning blazes. Spain's major fires have stopped advancing.

  • Gale-force winds are hindering firefighting aircraft in Greece, preventing them from collecting water.
  • France's largest wildfire in Gironde remains contained but active pockets still burn across 420 sq km.
  • Fires in France and Spain have led to the evacuation of approximately 330,000 people.

Wildfires are continuing to cause significant disruption across parts of Europe, with Greece currently facing the most immediate danger. Gale-force winds are driving flames deeper into western Attica, the administrative region encompassing Athens, threatening villages and an industrial district outside Megara.

These strong winds are also preventing firefighting aircraft from collecting water from the sea, hindering efforts to control the blazes. Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of three more communities – Kandili, Agia Skepi, and Toutouli – on Sunday as flames advanced. Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft have been deployed.

In France, the Gironde megafire, which has scorched 420 sq km of forest, remains contained but is still burning. Around 224,000 people were previously forced to evacuate due to this fire. A separate fire in the south-eastern Var department, which affected approximately 18 sq km, was stabilised on Sunday morning but not yet contained. Across France, over 1,170 sq km have burned this year.

Meanwhile, Spain's major fires have stopped advancing. Fires in France and Spain combined have displaced roughly a third of a million people from their homes and holiday sites.

Why this matters: Europe has been identified as the world's fastest-warming continent, with higher temperatures and prolonged drought contributing to drier, more combustible forests and scrubland, increasing the intensity and spread of wildfires.

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