Wildfires force thousands to flee across Croatia, France, Germany and Greece

Thousands of people have been evacuated across Croatia, France, Germany and Greece as wildfires continue to spread through parts of western and southeastern Europe. The latest blazes have been driven by strong winds and prolonged heat, with emergency services responding to fast-moving fires in tourist and rural areas. In Croatia, a fire near the coastal town of Omis has left at least 14 people hospitalised, including seven in life-threatening condition.

Sponsored

Local officials said the situation in Croatia remained difficult overnight, with flames affecting settlements and forest areas between Lokva Rogoznica and Omis. In western Germany, authorities ordered about 1,800 people to leave their homes after a wildfire moved towards the village of Gey, near the border with Belgium. In southwestern France, 525 villagers were evacuated from the Landes region after a fire burned through about 1,100 hectares and came within 2 kilometres of Luglon.

Firefighters in France were supported by six aircraft and about 500 personnel, according to regional officials. The fires are part of a wider summer pattern that has already seen successive heatwaves scorch large areas across the European Union. The supplied figures indicate that about 500,000 hectares have been affected across the bloc this summer, underscoring the scale of the seasonal fire risk.

In northern Greece, tourists and residents also fled villages in Halkidiki after strong winds fanned a blaze near a resort area during the holiday season. The combination of heat, drought and wind has made containment more difficult in several countries at once. The immediate impact has been felt most sharply in places where fires have reached homes, forested areas and populated coastal or holiday regions.

Sponsored

Hospitalisations in Croatia point to the direct health risks posed by smoke, heat and rapid fire spread, while evacuations in Germany and France show how quickly local authorities have had to move to protect residents. In France, the Landes region has already been hit by major fires this summer, adding to concern about repeated damage in the same area. The situation also places pressure on fire services, civil protection teams and local governments during the peak of the summer travel period.

The broader significance lies in the growing strain that extreme weather is placing on emergency response systems across Europe. Heatwaves have particularly affected France, Spain, Greece and the Balkans this summer, according to the supplied material, and scientists link the hot weather and severe drought to climate change. That context matters because repeated fire outbreaks can disrupt transport, tourism, housing and local economies, while also increasing the risk to older people, children and those with existing health conditions.

For countries with large rural and coastal areas, the challenge is not only extinguishing fires but also coordinating evacuations quickly and safely. What remains unclear is whether all of the fires are now contained, how much damage has been done in each location, and how many people may still be displaced. Further updates are likely from local fire commanders, regional officials and emergency authorities as crews continue to monitor flare-ups and changing wind conditions.

Wildfires and heat-related evacuations have spread across several parts of Europe, with fresh incidents reported in England, southwest France, Greece and Croatia. In the West Midlands town of Stourbridge, a child and three firefighters were taken to hospital after a wildfire tore through homes and prompted a major emergency response. Elsewhere, more than 500 people were evacuated from the Landes region of southwest France, while hundreds of tourists were moved out of Halkidiki in northern Greece and at least 19 people were injured in a fire near the Croatian tourist town of Omiš.

Sponsored

In England, fire crews were still working on Friday morning to contain large blazes after what officials described as thousands of emergency calls and extensive damage. The West Midlands Fire Service said one fire in Stourbridge was among the most significant incidents it had ever dealt with, and that crews were making progress against the flames. Local officials said homes were damaged, and the response continued after the hottest day of the year was recorded in England on Thursday.

The fires came during an exceptionally hot spell across the region, with temperatures in France reaching up to 41C on Thursday and only a slight fall expected on Friday in England. In Greece, firefighters were battling a large blaze in Halkidiki amid gale-force winds, which helped drive the evacuation of tourists from the popular coastal area. In Croatia, two people also required hospital treatment in Split after the fire near Omiš, underlining the wider strain on emergency services in tourist-heavy areas.

The incidents highlight how extreme heat is increasing pressure on fire services across southern and western Europe at the height of the summer season. Evacuations in resort areas can quickly affect local transport, accommodation and emergency planning, while hospitalisations show the direct risk to residents, visitors and responders. The spread of separate fire fronts across multiple countries also points to the difficulty of managing fast-moving wildfires when high temperatures and strong winds coincide.

In the West Midlands, the fire response drew a public statement from Andy Burnham, who said he was in touch with local leaders and would speak to emergency services on the ground. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker was also mentioned in the response, as crews continued to tackle the blaze in Stourbridge. Chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said the incident involved homes being forced to evacuate and described the scale of the response as exceptional for the region.

What remains unclear is the full extent of damage in each location, whether any of the fires have been fully contained, and how many people may still be displaced. Further updates are expected from local fire services and emergency authorities as crews continue their work. The situation is also likely to remain sensitive as temperatures stay high and more areas face the risk of renewed flare-ups.

#wildfires #evacuations #Croatia #France #Germany #Greece #heatwave #emergencyresponse