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2025 European and Mediterranean wildfires
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Since June 2025, parts of Europe have been affected by wildfires, with Mediterranean countries affected the most. The fires were exacerbated by a record-breaking heatwave which saw extreme temperatures across the continent throughout June and into July. At least 22 people have been killed by fires, hundreds injured and tens of thousands evacuated; among the worst-hit countries were France, Greece, Spain and Turkey.
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Albania
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On 1 July, a fire started in the municipality of Finiq after a pine tree fell on power lines.[1] On 6 July, Greece sent two Canadair CL-415 aircraft to the area to assist with firefighting efforts.[2]
Bulgaria
On 27 July, it was reported that firefighters were tackling wildfires at almost 100 locations across the country, including one in the Pirin Mountains which burned thousands of acres. Fires in Kozarevo and Simitli destroyed several houses, whilst a fire along the Miloslavska planina mountain range almost destroyed the village of Rani Lug and spread into neighbouring Serbia.[3]
Croatia
On 21 June, a large wildfire started in Pisak and quickly spread to nearby villages. The fire burned around 290 ha (720 acres) before it was brought under control the following day by around 200 firefighters.[4] Numerous citizens and tourists were evacuated and part of the Adriatic Highway was closed; a number of citizens and firefighters were injured and several houses were destroyed in Marušići, Mimice and Pisak.[5] In Marušići, an olive oil refinery, one of the largest in the country, was also destroyed.[6]
Cyprus
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On 23 July, two bodies were found in a burnt out car along the B8 road after a wildfire broke out in the village of Malia.[7] The fire spread to over 120 km2 (46 sq mi) and forced the evacuation of 14 villages as it was tackled by over 250 firefighters, 75 fire engines and 14 aircraft, with support from Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Spain. Reports stated seven people were in hospital for smoke inhalation and burns and at least 20 homes were destroyed in Lofou.[8]
France
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On 29 June, a large fire started in Corbières due to a poorly extinguished barbeque and spread to over 400 ha (990 acres). The A61 autoroute was closed and homes and a campsite were evacuated as over 600 firefighters, nine of whom were injured, fought the blaze and brought it under control the following day.[9]
On 7 July, a fire started near Narbonne and spread to over 2,000 ha (4,900 acres), forcing the evacuation of a hamlet and the closure of the A9 autoroute. By 9 July, several houses had been damaged whilst around 1,070 firefighters fought the flames, five of whom had been injured. The fire also destroyed a stable, killing a number of horses.[10]
On 8 July, a wildfire started in Les Pennes-Mirabeau and spread rapidly, prompting the closure of the A50 and A55 autoroutes and Marseille Provence Airport as train services heading north and west of Marseille were suspended. Marseille's 15th arrondissement was evacuated and operations at the airport resumed after 9:30 p.m. once Canadair aircraft were grounded for the night. Around 600 people lost power due to the fire in the 16th arrondissement and Les Pennes-Mirabeau, whilst 70 people were displaced from a nursing home in the latter. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, said that some 110 people had been injured during the fire, which had affected 63 homes and destroyed at least 10. He also said over 800 firefighters were tackling the blaze, at least nine of whom had been injured.[11]
Germany
On 1 July, a wildfire started in Gohrischheide on the border of Saxony and Brandenburg, leading to the evacuation of over 100 people as two firefighters were injured.[12] Another fire started in Thuringia the following day in Saalfelder Höhe and grew to become the largest in the state since 1993. By 4 July, a total of 1,000 firefighters had been deployed between the two sites and several communities including Gröditz were under a disaster alert.[13]
Greece
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On 22 June, five fires started on the island of Chios, leading to the evacuation of 17 communities as a state of emergency was declared;[14] it was tackled by 444 firefighters and several aircraft as it burned over 10,000 acres (4,000 ha), with a woman being arrested for unintentional arson.[15] Another large fire destroyed at least 20 homes amidst high winds and temperatures of up to 40 °C (104 °F) in the towns of Palaia Fokaia and Thymari, with over 1,000 people being evacuated and at least 40 having to be rescued by police.[16]
On 3 July, a wildfire which started the previous day near Ierapetra on the island of Crete forced the evacuation of over 1,500 people as it was fought by around 230 firefighters and 46 vehicles; around 5,000 tourists were also believed to have evacuated independently. Another fire in the Chalkidiki region was being fought by 160 firefighters and 49 vehicles.[17] A fire in Rafina forced the evacuation of four settlements and damaged at least six houses as it spread to Pikermi and Spata.[18]
On 4 July, a wildfire started near Koropi and damaged some houses, leading to the evacuation of Agios Dimitrios as 120 firefighters fought the fire, supported by 30 vehicles, eight aircraft and eight helicopters.[19] A large fire broke out on the island of Evia and forced the evacuation of Limnionas and Tsakaioi as over 160 firefighters fought the blaze;[20] it spread to 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and a 52-year-old was arrested the following day.[21]
On 7 July, a wildfire started in Kozani and spread close to the University of Western Macedonia, prompting its evacuation; three aircraft and a helicopter were involved as the fire reached some houses.[22]
On 22 July, a firefighting helicopter crashed into the sea near Athens during efforts to extinguish a wildfire. All three people on board were rescued. Later that day, a wildfire also broke out near Corinth.[23]
On 26 July, wildfires broke out in Afidnes, Pissona, Kythira, Trifylia and Temenia.[24]
On 28 July, a wildfire broke out near the National Technical University of Athens.[25]
Montenegro
On 2 July, a wildfire broke out near Gornje Crkvice in Nikšić Municipality, close to the border with Bosnia's Republika Srpska, and threatened a number of homes. Firefighters were reportedly still fighting the blaze on 4 July.[26]
Netherlands
On 3 April, a large wildfire broke out in the Veluwe near Ede during a Ministry of Defence exercise involving smoke grenades. The fire spread quickly due to strong winds, leading to around 500 firefighters attending the blaze as roads were closed and a small number of houses were evacuated; a total of 130 ha (320 acres) was burned.[27] On 12 April, a wildfire occurred in De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park, burning 42 ha (100 acres) before it was brought under control by over 100 firefighters.[28]
Portugal
On 29 June, a fire broke out in a forested area of Castelo Branco; by midnight it was being fought by 175 personnel, 57 vehicles and seven aircraft. Another fire in a forested area of Torres Novas was fought by 107 firefighters and 32 vehicles.[29]
On 26 July, a fire broke out in Ponte da Barca, burning nearly 2,000 ha (4,900 acres) hectares of land.[30]
Spain
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On 1 July, a large wildfire started in the municipality of Torrefeta i Florejacs in the Province of Lleida and spread to burn around 5,300 ha (13,000 acres). Two people were killed in Oliola after their vehicle got stuck whilst they were trying to escape and a firefighter was injured in Coscó; around 20,000 people were under a lockdown before the fire was declared stabilised shortly after 10:30 p.m. on 2 July.[31] On 2 July, a local politician died whilst trying to help a tractor driver whose vehicle had started a small wildfire in the municipality of San Cristovo de Cea.[32]
On 8 July, a large fire in Baix Ebre spread to over 3,100 ha (7,700 acres) and lead to the lockdown of over 18,000 people as it spread to the Els Ports Natural Park and left four firefighters injured.[33]
On 17 July, a large fire broke out in Méntrida, 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Madrid, burning 3,100 ha (7,700 acres) and sending smoke over the capital which resulted in a stay-home advisory.[34]
On 28 July, a wildfire broke out in Avila Province, isolating the village of El Arenal.[35]
Syria
On 3 July, a number of forest fires broke out near the Turkish border in Latakia Governorate. Fires in the Qastal Ma'af area moved close to villages, prompting the evacuation of multiple areas.[36] On 5 July, Turkey sent two aircraft and eleven vehicles to Syria to help them fight the fires.[37] By 6 July, the fires had consumed over 3% of Syria's total forested land, based on 2023 forest cover figures of approximately 5,270 km², in just three days.[38] By 8 July, the blazes had destroyed over 14,000 hectares of forest and farmland.[39] In the meantime, at least 38 square miles of vegetation were destroyed.[40] The rapid spread of the fires was fueled by extreme heat, prolonged drought, strong winds, and the rugged terrain of the coastal mountains. Efforts to contain the fires were further hampered by the presence of unexploded ordnance from the civil war and limited firefighting resources.[41]
Firefighting teams from Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan joined the efforts, while the Syrian government appealed to the EU for support.[42] On 10 July, the United Nations allocated $625,000 in emergency aid to assist affected communities, with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent coordinating relief efforts.[43] By 15 July, with the fire contained, 16,000 hectares had been burned.[44]
Turkey
On 29 June, amid high temperatures and strong winds of up to 117 km/h (73 mph), a series of wildfires broke out across the country, mostly in İzmir Province. They forced the evacuation of over 50,000 people from 41 settlements around the province and operations at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport were temporarily suspended.[45] Three people were killed by wildfires near Ödemiş: an 81-year-old bedridden man and two people who were working with firefighters to tackle the fire. The fires in İzmir were brought under control on 4 July, having destroyed around 5,000 ha (12,000 acres) and some 200 houses.[46]
On 4 July, a fire broke out in a forest in Dörtyol and spread quickly due to strong winds. By the next day almost 2,000 people had been evacuated in Hatay Province whilst over 1,000 emergency personnel worked to fight the blaze.[47]
On 23 July, five firefighters and five members of the AKUT Search and Rescue Association were killed and 14 others were hospitalized while battling a wildfire in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir Province. Authorities said the wind suddenly changed direction, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the victims.[48][49]
On 25 July, wildfires broke out in Adana, Antalya, Manavgat and Mersin. That same day, the provinces of Bilecik and Izmir were designated as disaster areas by the interior ministry due to wildfires.[50]
On 27 July, wildfires forced the closure of the Bursa-Ankara highway.[51] The next day, a water tanker overturned in Bursa, killing three firefighters from Bolu Province who were responding to a wildfire in Ağlaşan.[52]
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom saw its worst year on record for wildfires, which was exacerbated by an unprecedented lack of rainfall throughout spring; this record was broken exceptionally early in the year after the total area burned by wildfires surpassed 29,000 ha (72,000 acres; 110 sq mi; 290 km2) in late April.[53] As of 3 July, over 43,548 ha (107,610 acres; 168.14 sq mi; 435.48 km2) has been burnt, surpassing the previous annual record set in 2019 by more than 14,000 ha (35,000 acres); it has also had the highest number of fires larger than 30 ha (74 acres) at 175, an increase of 24 from the previous record set in 2022.[54]
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