Amid record heat, Southern Europe battles wildfires from the air and on land

By the Climate Centre

The meteorological service of Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change last weekend confirmed a new modern-era temperature record for the country of 50.5°C, recorded on Friday in the Silopi district of Şırnak province.

“It is expected that air temperatures will continue to remain above seasonal norms [this] week,“ the ministry said. “We kindly request our citizens to act with care and sensitivity to prevent any forest fires due to the hot weather.”

This is a full degree above the previous Turkish record of 49.5°C from August 2023 and carries “serious health impacts … giving a very high risk of wildfires,” the UK Met Office said in its own post. 

The announcement came as firefighters and National Societies in Turkey, Greece and other southern European countries grappled with new wildfires.

The Turkish Red Crescent was active in multiple locations, including Bursa, Türkiye’s fourth-largest city, supporting firefighters with drinking water, ready-to-eat meals, first aid and other supplies.

‘Heat, wind, fuel, ignition’

News reports said a wildfire erupted yesterday in forests outside the port city of Izmir, where 11 aircraft were helping fight the blaze; they quoted Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli as telling reporters in Ankara that Türkiye faces a “very risky week” for wildfires.

“Extreme heat is just one component of ‘fire weather’, alongside wind and an abundance of dry vegetation,” Climate Centre science lead Liz Stephens said today, referring to the new Turkish record.

“While the cause of a fire can be anthropogenic, including arson, it’s the fire weather that leads to fires spreading rapidly and extensively, making them difficult to control.

“Extreme heat can very clearly be linked to climate change, and as the world warms we see more intense and longer-lasting heatwaves.”

In Greece, firefighters and Red Cross volunteers tackled a fire that broke out yesterday near the National Technical University of Athens in the foothills around the city.

Fixed-wing firefighting aircraft and helicopters joined forces to douse the flames, backing up more than 100 firefighters on the ground

Hundreds of fires were also reported across Bulgaria, which borders both Greece and Türkiye – the most severe of which, near the south-west village of Strumyani, was described by the authorities as extremely large.

EU civil protection mechanism

The mountain rescue service of the Bulgarian Red Cross warned tourists and hikers to “be particularly careful” since the wind was changing direction unpredictably.

Bulgaria activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Saturday, receiving seven firefighting aircraft from six EU states, as well as rapid mapping of the fires, and the assistance of an expert from the European Commission Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

Firefighters were fighting at least six separate wildfires yesterday in Albania, again with aircraft in the inaccessible mountainous north-east.

The European Commission says total burnt area and number of fires so far this year are well above the 2006–2024 average, and the wildfire risk has expanded to countries less accustomed to it such as the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden.

In roughly the last two decades nearly 20 per cent of all requests for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism were in response to wildfires.

Short of actual fires, extreme heat in Europe “is not only a physical threat [but] also takes a serious toll on mental well-being,” the IFRC said on social media earlier this month.

Along the border with Serbia, the Red Cross of North Macedonia was seeing a rise in heat-related illnesses, dehydration, sunburn, and heatstroke among people on the move; the National Society was distributing water, food, and seasonal kits, and providing medical care, psychosocial support and family links.

The Turkish Red Crescent is out in the field in strength again this week, supporting firefighters with drinking water, ready meals, first aid and other supplies. (Photo: Turkish Red Crescent Society)