Fire detectives hunt for the spark behind wildfires in France
As record heat and drought fuel devastating wildfires across France, specialist investigators are racing to uncover how the blazes begin.
In the Var, where an eight-day fire destroyed 4,500 hectares and threatened historic villages, teams of firefighters, police and forestry experts are painstakingly tracing burn patterns and searching for clues to pinpoint each fire's origin.
While climate change has made forests increasingly combustible, officials say around 90% of fires are sparked by human activity, whether through carelessness or arson.
Investigators warn against jumping to conclusions, stressing that most wildfires are accidental despite widespread fears of arsonists. Even so, authorities estimate that 30–40% of human-caused fires are deliberate, and more than 260 people have been arrested since late June as wildfire investigations continue.
With temperatures reaching 45°C and humidity at just 15%, experts say even the smallest spark can trigger catastrophe, warning that France's wildfire season now stretches far beyond summer and has become an almost year-round threat.
Greek firefighters battle deadly wildfires on Crete for a second day
Greek firefighters were battling deadly wildfires on the island of Crete for a second day on Thursday, as wildfires continue to spread across Europe following days of devastating blazes in Spain and France.
On Wednesday, three Greek firefighters died battling blazes during high winds on Crete and on the mainland, and two more were injured.
Tens of thousands of French wildfire evacuees allowed to return home
the broadcaster's Carys Garland reports from France's Gironde region, where tens of thousands of people have been given the green light to return to their homes.
Cooler weather and potential rain move into the French region torched by wildfires
Higher humidity, cooler temperatures and a forecast for rain raised hopes of relief Thursday for a parched portion of southwestern France engulfed by wildfires that have charred an area four times the size of Paris in recent weeks.
Local officials reported a “rather calm" night, with a fire that has not grown beyond the 42,000 hectares already affected.
the broadcaster's Carys Garland reports from Lanton, France.
Spanish PM declares end to national emergency over Madrid and Avila wildfires
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has lifted the state of emergency over the wildfires in Madrid and Avila regions that forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of people.
"We decided to accept the proposal to switch to operational level 2 and end the national state of emergency," Sanchez said after meeting with regional officials on the blazes.
French authorities give green light for 84,000 evacuees to return home
French authorities on Thursday gave the go-ahead for 84,000 evacuees forced out by a massive wildfire in the country’s southwest to return to their homes.
The authorised returns announced for nine communes that had been evacuated are the strongest sign so far from authorities that the battle since last week against the fire that has burned an area four times the size of Paris may have turned a corner.
More than 220,000 people were forced to flee their homes or holiday accommodation since the blaze broke out.
New Spain fire forces evacuation of 600 people near Portuguese border, emergency services say
A new wildfire broke out on Wednesday near Spain's border with Portugal, forcing the evacuation of more than 600 people, emergency services said.
A total of 11 areas were evacuated, and residents of two others were ordered to shelter in place, the services said.
Firefighters battle blazes across Turkey's tourist hotspots
Firefighters continued battling forest fires in Turkey's popular tourist regions of Antalya and the Dardanelles, authorities reported.
At least 115 active fires were billowing across the country, but 110 were completely under control, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.
According to the minister, who was speaking live on Thursday from the wildfire coordination centre in Ankara, 69 of the fires that were being battled Wednesday ignited "outside forested areas".
Meanwhile, the forestry directorate earlier said that it was carrying out "intensive operations with our air and ground forces against the ongoing forest fires", which broke out Wednesday due to strong winds.
The directorate specifically mentioned the Antalya to Alanya and Mugla to Fethiye routes, where seaside resorts line up along the "Turquoise Coast" on the Mediterranean shore.
Cool change and a chance of rain brings hope to southwest France
Higher humidity, cooler temperatures and a forecast for rain raised hopes of relief for a parched portion of southwestern France.
With moisture moving in from the Atlantic Ocean coast, national weather service Météo France forecast light rain in the town of Lège-Cap-Ferret.
Local officials reported a “rather calm" night, with a fire that has not grown beyond the 42,000 hectares already affected. Fire crews remained at “total mobilisation” with 2,200 firefighters and more than 20 aircraft.
Humidity that reached 80 percent overnight was expected to drop by midday, authorities said, though some rainfall was expected along the coast that “could reach the fire zone”.
Temperatures that peaked around 40 C a day earlier were set to drop Thursday, topping out at 27 C along the coast. An “orange” heat wave alert – the second-highest level after “red” – was lifted shortly before dawn.
Spanish authorities say 'almost no flames' left in fire near Madrid
Wildfires threatening areas near Madrid have stopped spreading and there are "almost no flames", Spanish authorities.
"Night-time weather conditions have made it possible... to cool the area and reinforce the perimeter, which is clearly stabilised, with no spread for several days, few smoking spots and almost no flames left," the prefecture of the Madrid region said, adding that only about 1,000 evacuees remained.
Thousands evacuated from raging Crete wildfire, official says
Thousands of people were evacuated late on Wednesday as fires threatened a tourist resort on the Greek island of Crete and continued to rage on Thursday, fanned by violent winds, a local official said.
"We evacuated (some) 8,000 people," Maria Lioni, deputy governor of the Rethymno area, told state TV ERT.
Two people arrested on suspicion of arson in southwest France
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson as firefighters battled to prevent the spread of wildfires near Bordeaux, the local administration responsible for the area said.
The fires had not spread compared to the previous days, the local administration for La Nouvelle Aquitaine et de la Gironde added in a statement on X. The amount of ground burnt remained at 42,000 hectares.
New wildfire in Burgundy, near Dijon
The fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon southwest of the French city of Dijon burned across 125 hectares without causing any injuries or damage to homes, the Côte-d’Or prefecture announced.
Fanned by the wind, the fire gradually spread, and by around 10:30pm, “125 hectares had been affected … of which 50 to 70 hectares were burned,” the prefecture stated in a press release. “No injuries have been reported, and no homes have been affected at this time,” it added.
This fire has mobilised 151 firefighters and 78 fire trucks, and reinforcements from other departments are expected. Earlier in the day, two water-dropping helicopters provided assistance, but the water drops were suspended at nightfall.
Flare-up in Fontainebleau forest south of Paris 'contained'
“The fire in Fontainebleau has been contained. We’re maintaining a large-scale response effort tonight and tomorrow [Thursday],” Yannis Bouzar, the subprefect of Fontainebleau, told Agence France-Presse by phone shortly after midnight on Thursday.
The area burned by this fire had been “revised downward to 6 hectares,” in consultation with the National Forestry Office (ONF), as Sébastien Avenel, deputy director of the department’s fire department, had specified shortly before 11pm in a phone call.
Welcome to the the broadcaster liveblog covering wildfires in Europe. You can catch up on yesterday's developments here.
Yesterday's key developments:
-
Next 12 hours will be 'decisive' for ending Madrid region fire, Spanish PM Sanchez says
- Wildfire in southwest France 'still stable', regional authorities say
-
Three firefighters died battling forest blazes in Greece on Wednesday as several other fires broke out around the country, fed by gale-force winds.
(the broadcaster with AFP, AP and Reuters)
