Wildfires spread across the Iberian Peninsula and southern France amid extreme heat

The heat wave affecting southern Europe has fueled large-scale wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain, prompting the mobilization of thousands of firefighters and the activation of European intervention mechanisms. In Portugal, the largest fire of the summer has devastated more than 13,000 hectares of vegetation, while southern France is facing several outbreaks fueled by temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds, AFP reports.

• Portugal gradually controls the fire that has consumed more than 13,000 hectares

Portuguese authorities announced that the fire that broke out last Thursday in the Vouzela area, in the Viseu district, is approximately 80% controlled, after days of uninterrupted interventions. According to the National Authority for Civil Protection, the flames have traveled about 35 kilometers since the outbreak of the fire and have destroyed at least 13,000 hectares of vegetation. "The situation is evolving favorably. There are still active outbreaks, but most of the fire is under control," Jose Costa, an officer in the Portuguese Civil Protection command, told AFP. About 1,200 firefighters are participating in the extinguishing operations, supported by more than 400 special vehicles, four helicopters and several specialized aircraft.

• European Civil Protection Mechanism activated for international support

Faced with the scale of the fire, Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting support from European partners. Spain has sent a military contingent of about 100 people and a Canadair aircraft, and Italy announced the sending of two more specialized firefighting aircraft. The first major fires of the summer have already injured at least nine people, two of whom are in serious condition. At the same time, six regions in central and southern Portugal remain under a red heatwave alert, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Forest fires are a recurring threat to Portugal, and the memory of the 2017 disaster, when more than a hundred people lost their lives in wildfires, continues to influence how authorities handle such situations. According to experts, the Iberian Peninsula is one of the European regions most exposed to the effects of climate change, characterized by increasingly frequent heat waves and prolonged periods of drought. Last year, Portugal recorded its hottest summer since systematic measurements began in 1931.

• South of France hit by new fires

The situation also remains difficult in southern France, where a fire that broke out Saturday evening near the town of Trevillach, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, has destroyed almost 1,000 hectares of vegetation. More than 580 firefighters are mobilised to contain the outbreaks, supported by Canadair aircraft that resumed their missions on Sunday morning. The prefect of the Pyrenees-Orientales department, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, said that the fire was no longer spreading out of control and that its intensity had decreased considerably. Authorities believe that the left flank of the fire is stabilised, while critical areas still persist on the right.

• High winds and temperatures are making the firefighting operation difficult

The firefighting operation is being complicated by the adverse weather conditions.

The Pyrenees-Orientales department is under an orange heatwave alert, and meteorologists are predicting temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius, very low humidity and wind gusts of up to 50 km/h, factors that favor the rekindling of the fires. As a preventive measure, the prefecture has asked the mayors of the affected towns to prepare spaces to shelter residents of isolated households. Temporary accommodation centers have been opened in the towns of Ille-sur-Têt and Vinça, where about 20 people have already been accommodated. French firefighters are also responding to another forest fire that broke out in the Drôme department, where about 300 hectares of vegetation have been affected. Another fire in the Pyrenees Orientales forced the evacuation of around 3,000 people from the resorts of Canet-en-Roussillon and Sainte-Marie-la-Mer before the flames were brought under control. Across the border, in the Spanish region of Catalonia, firefighters have managed to contain a blaze that has burned more than 2,000 hectares of vegetation, but authorities are warning that high temperatures and strong winds could spark a resurgence.

• Southern Europe enters new season of extreme fires

Sequence of fires in Portugal, France and Spain confirms start of of a new high-risk season for southern Europe, in a context in which extreme temperatures and prolonged drought favor the rapid spread of flames. In recent years, scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves, prolonging the fire season and making emergency services more difficult to respond to, turning wildfires into a major challenge for Mediterranean countries.