This still image taken from handout footage released by Spain’s Emergency Military Unit (UME) shows military firefighters tackling a wildfifre near Yeres, northwestern Spain, on August 11, 2025. HANDOUT / AFP
A man died after suffering burns and thousands fled their homes in Spain on Tuesday, August 12, as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched southern Europe. Heat alerts were issued in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40ºC. One child died of heatstroke in Italy on Monday.
Read more Subscribers only Early and intense wildfire season has arrived around the Mediterranean
A man who suffered serious burns died in hospital as winds of up to 70 kilometers per hour whipped flames through Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of the Spanish capital of Madrid, officials said. He was the first fatality from dozens of wildfires that have hit Spain since a heatwave began last week. Hundreds of residents of Tres Cantos left their homes due to the risk from the blaze, which was contained on Tuesday morning.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X that rescue services “are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires” and warned that “we are at extreme risk of forest fires. Please be very cautious.”
“In barely 40 minutes, the fire advanced 6 kilometers,” Carlos Novillo, Madrid’s regional environment chief, told reporters.
Saved at ‘last second’
Elsewhere, about 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near the popular beaches of Tarifa in the southern region of Andalusia. The wildfire broke out near where a similar blaze forced evacuations earlier this month. “We managed to save the residential area at the very last second,” said Antonio Sanz, the Andalusia region’s interior minister. A Civil Guard police officer was injured after being struck by a car while helping with the evacuation, he added.
In the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, more than 30 blazes were reported, including one threatening Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its ancient Roman gold mines.
Climate change driving heatwaves
Meteorologists predicted that Tuesday will be the hottest day yet of the heatwave, with all regions under weather alerts. Forecasters said temperatures would hit around 40ºC and overnight lows would remain above 25ºC. Climate experts say global warming is driving longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves around the world.
Read more Subscribers only What would France look like at +4°C? More heatwaves, ‘tropical nights’ and intense rain
In neighboring Portugal, firefighters battled three large wildfires, with the most serious near Trancoso in the center of the country. More than 700 firefighters and four aircraft were deployed. Authorities warned that temperatures in southern Portugal could reach 44ºC. Morocco sent two Canadair planes to assist after two of Portugal’s own water-dropping aircraft broke down.
French hospitals braced for fallout
Temperature records were broken at at least four weather stations in southern France on Monday, and three-quarters of the country was under heat alerts Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to top 36ºC in the Paris region and 40ºC in the Rhône Valley region. In the Rhone department, authorities suspended outdoor construction work from midday until 10 pm and banned outdoor public events.
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French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said hospitals were braced for fallout from the country’s second heatwave in just a few weeks.
Read more Subscribers only Extreme heat is causing more drownings in France
Temperatures started rising on Friday and could remain high into next week, according to the national weather office Météo-France. That would make it a 12- to 14-day stretch of extreme heat.
Italian agriculture hit hard
Meanwhile, 11 Italian cities, including Rome, Milan and Florence, were placed on red alert Tuesday due to the heat. Meanwhile, officials said a wildfire near Mount Vesuvius has been brought under control after burning nearly 600 hectares over four days.
The scorching temperatures and drought have hit agriculture hard. Italy’s main farm lobby, the Coldiretti organization, said vegetable production in the southeastern Apulia region has dropped by 30%.
Read more Subscribers only Fires in France: ‘Agricultural fires, previously overlooked, are now drawing public authorities’ attention’
In England, a water shortfall was classed as “nationally significant” after experiencing its driest first six months of the year since 1976, the Environment Agency said.
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