Europe faces a terrifying new wildfire threat, with the continent’s emergency response chief warning that blazes could spread across vast areas within days as a relentless combination of heat, drought and strong winds creates “exceptional” conditions.
Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre, issued the stark warning as firefighters battled raging infernos across France, Spain, Greece and Portugal.
“If the fires in Portugal and Spain do not burn out, we will have all Europe on fire,” she told reporters.
The warning comes as officials fear 2026 could become the worst wildfire season in European history, surpassing last year’s record-breaking devastation.
More than one million hectares of land were destroyed by wildfires across Europe last year, and current conditions are approaching the same dangerous levels.
Ms Zuber warned the coming days would be “very difficult” as the wildfire threat moves eastwards after tearing through parts of France and the Iberian Peninsula.
“The next risk is already moving to Greece and also Central Europe,” she said.
Greece, which has so far avoided the worst of the crisis, is now facing rising danger, while Italy is expected to see conditions deteriorate at the start of August.
The threat is being fuelled by a renewed heatwave sweeping western Europe, with temperatures expected to climb again across France and Spain.
Dry vegetation, high temperatures, strong winds and prolonged lack of rainfall are creating the perfect conditions for fires to ignite and spread rapidly.
The crisis has already reached Britain, where firefighters are battling a major wildfire at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk.
Around 70 firefighters have been deployed to the National Trust nature reserve, with authorities declaring a major incident as crews fight to contain the blaze.
The UK is currently experiencing a prolonged spell of dry and warm weather, with high pressure maintaining dangerous fire conditions before a cooler change arrives later in the week.
But officials warn that the risks are growing.
Across Europe, emergency services are facing increasingly complex fires that stretch resources to the limit. Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that hotter summers and longer periods of drought are creating conditions where extreme wildfires become more frequent and more destructive.
The latest warning raises the prospect of another summer of devastation across the continent—with governments racing to contain flames that are moving faster than traditional firefighting systems were designed to handle.
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