Two firefighters lost their lives in France, while another perished in Italy amid efforts to control wildfires that have been devastating Europe this week.
Wildfires persisted in spreading across regions of France, Spain, and Italy on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of thousands due to rising temperatures.
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In the Gironde department of southwestern France, over 10,000 residents were evacuated overnight as a fire ravaged more than 2,000 hectares, local authorities reported.
The fire ignited in Saumos on Wednesday and has moved southwestward towards Le Porge and Lège Cap-Ferret.
By Thursday morning, 500 firefighters were actively combating the blaze, with additional aerial support en route.
The flames claimed the lives of two firefighters tackling the fire in Mérignac, a suburb of Bordeaux, on Tuesday.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez visited the families and fellow firefighters of the deceased on Wednesday to pay his respects.
«Representing the president of the Republic, the government, and the entire nation, which owes them a great debt, I conveyed our deepest gratitude and steadfast support,» he posted on social media.
Several departments in southern France remained under a red alert for forest fires on Thursday, according to Météo-France.
Italy
Several fires erupted in Sicily, prompting the deployment of approximately 6,000 emergency personnel, including firefighters, forestry officers, and civil protection staff.
As reported by the regional government, 300 out of 344 fires identified across the island had been extinguished by Wednesday.
«The most severe fires, where crews from the fire brigade, civil protection, and forestry corps are operating, are located in Casaboli, Bivona, Alimena, San Cataldo, Galati Mamertino, certain sectors of Madonie Park, and the Syracuse region,» the statement declared.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced that firefighter Alessandro Marchi died while responding to a fire in San Cataldo.
«He sacrificed his life in the line of duty, serving the community. On behalf of myself and the Ministry of the Interior, I offer sincere condolences to his family,» Piantedosi expressed.
Spain
Authorities also declared a significant wildfire southwest of Madrid, between Almorox and Villa del Prado.
Video shared on social media by Spain’s Civil Guard revealed officers conducting house-to-house evacuations in affected areas.
By Wednesday night, deployment included 88 firefighters, 35 vehicles, and one helicopter battling the fire.
This incident followed a major wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid, which had already consumed 32,000 hectares.
According to the European Forest Fires Information System, wildfires in 2026 have burned an estimated 254,388 hectares across the European Union.
This figure exceeds the long-term average but remains under the 270,449 hectares recorded for the same period in 2025, based on their data.