Western Europe’s wildfire crisis retreats as Greece evacuates hundreds near Athens
Western Europe is facing a fractured wildfire crisis as conditions improve in Spain but worsen in Greece due to high winds. France continues to battle large, uncontained blazes that have forced massive evacuations.
Why it matters
The intensity and scale of these wildfires underscore the increasing vulnerability of European regions to climate-driven extreme weather events.
Firefighters at a wildfire in Agia Paraskevi near Athens. Firefighters at a wildfire in Agia Paraskevi near Athens. Wildfires Western Europe’s wildfire crisis retreats as Greece evacuates hundreds near Athens High winds prevent firefighting aircraft from collecting seawater as flames spread through Attica
Prefer the Guardian on Google Europe’s wildfire crisis fractured along starkly different fronts on Sunday: gale-force winds drove flames deeper into the Athens region and forced fresh evacuations, France guarded a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris against renewed spread, and Spain’s major fires finally stopped advancing.
The centre of immediate danger was Greece . Gale-force winds drove flames deeper into western Attica, the administrative region that includes the capital, threatening villages and an industrial district outside the city of Megara as violent wind gusts prevented firefighting aircraft from collecting water from the sea.
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