French authorities have detained 474 people on suspicion of starting wildfires since July 1, according to the interior ministry. Among those detained, 183 are minors. Officials estimate that approximately 70% of these cases are suspected to be deliberate, while the remainder are believed to be accidental. In one notable case, French media reported that a 15-year-old boy was detained in connection with a fire near Bordeaux airport that resulted in the deaths of two firefighters in July.
The situation in France remains critical, with over 525 people evacuated from the village of Luglon in the Landes region on Friday after a wildfire consumed nearly 1,100 hectares of pine forest in less than 24 hours. Regional official Gilles Clavreul described the situation as unfavorable, noting that 500 firefighters and six water-dumping aircraft were deployed to combat the flames while road access to the village was closed.
Across Europe, firefighters are battling ferocious blazes amid a record-breaking heatwave. In Croatia, a wildfire driven by strong winds hit the tourist town of Lokva Rogoznica on the Dalmatian coast. Police confirmed the death of one person, while local health officials in the city of Split, located about 15.5 miles to the north, reported that 36 people were treated by ambulance services. Of those, 14 were admitted to hospital, including seven with life-threatening injuries. Emergency shelters were opened in several nearby towns. Regional chief fire commander Slavko Tucaković stated that the blaze, which caused huge material damage, appeared to have calmed by Friday morning. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, visiting nearby Omiš where evacuees were sheltering in a sports hall, described the event as one of the worst fires in recent years but noted there were no other confirmed fatalities.
In western Germany, more than 2,000 people fled their homes near the Hürtgen forest, taking shelter in a primary school. Mona Neubaur, the deputy premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, noted the community was under significant threat. Firefighting efforts were hampered by unexploded second world war ordnance; the news agency dpa reported that explosions could be heard as munitions detonated in the flames, forcing firefighters to stay out of the area near the Belgian border for safety. German army tanks and helicopters were providing support.
Spain has also faced severe challenges. An army unit removed the remains of three 11th-century Aragonese kings from the San Juan de la Peña monastery to a museum in Huesca due to fire threats. In the province of Huelva, a wildfire has burned 31,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of 700 people. While the 2-mile-long fire front was brought under control, two firefighters were hospitalized. Meanwhile, Greece has issued a maximum level-five fire alert for much of the mainland, with local officials in Halkidiki banning access to pine forests as winds of up to 62 mph were forecast.
The EU’s Copernicus climate change service has warned of very extreme wildfire conditions across central and eastern Europe, as well as parts of southern Britain, Ireland, northern France, and southern Sweden. Data from the Reuters Climate Monitor indicated that the average high across western Europe on Friday was 31.2C, which is 8C above the 1961-1990 norm. Scientists state that climate breakdown is causing more frequent and extreme weather, and Europe is currently heating at about twice the global average rate.
More than 180 minors among those detained, as firefighters tackle blazes across Europe amid record-breaking heatwave
A fire engulfed homes in a Croatian holiday resort on Friday, killing one person, injuring 40 and forcing 1,200 to evacuate, officials said, as the EU warned that pockets of “very extreme” wildfire conditions stretched across the continent.
