Wildfires rage across Europe, forcing evacuations, as drought exposes ancient ruins in Rome

Europe is currently battling widespread wildfires that have forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate, as extreme weather conditions continue to exacerbate the blazes. Countries from France and Spain to Greece and Croatia are experiencing significant fire activity, with tens of thousands displaced in France and Spain alone, and hundreds more evacuated in Germany, Greece, and Croatia. A wildfire in Croatia, near Omis, injured 40 people and necessitated 1,200 evacuations, while in Germany, all 1,800 residents of Gey village were moved due to approaching flames.

The intensity of these fires is fueled by record-breaking heatwaves and prolonged drought gripping the continent, with Western Europe experiencing its hottest June-July period on record. France is enduring its driest year ever, and critical rivers like the Loire, Po, Rhine, and Danube have reached record low levels in August. These dry and scorching conditions create explosive fuel for wildfires, with some blazes in France even generating rare "fire thunderstorms."

Scientists attribute these increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves and the resulting wildfire crisis to human-caused climate change, highlighting Europe's struggle to adapt to prolonged scorching summers. The total area burned in the EU by early August 2026 has already surpassed that of the same period in 2025, which was previously the worst year on record for wildfire destruction.