Wildfires could engulf ‘all of Europe’ within days warns EU chief | World | News
Several countries are burning (Image: Getty)
Europe’s emergency response chief has issued a stark warning as wildfires continue to ravage parts of the Mediterranean.
Wildfires could engulf “all of Europe” within days, Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre warned.
Her warning comes as wildfires tear through France, Spain, Greece and Portugal. If current fires in Portugal and Spain don’t burn out by then, “we will have all Europe on fire”, Ms Zuber said.
Speaking to reporters, Ms Zuber that 2026 could become the biggest fire season in European history, surpassing the record set last year.
She said that the next few days would be “very difficult” and warned the wildfire threat was shifting eastwards after devastating parts of France and the Iberian Peninsula.
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Wildfires are raging across Europe (Image: Getty)
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Homes and belongings have been destroyed by the fires (Image: Getty)
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Europe has been issued a terrifying warning about the fires (Image: Getty)
“The next risk, it’s already moving to Greece and also Central Europe,” she told reporters.
“Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece.
“Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire.”
Europe suffered its worst wildfire season on record last year, with more than a million hectares of land burned and Europe’s blazes this season are not far off last year’s situation.
“We have the potential that this is another record,” Ms Zuber said.
Conditions are set to worsen as a fresh heatwave hits western Europe this week, with temperatures climbing again in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday, according to meteorologists.
High temperatures, dry air, wind and a lack of rain help fires ignite and spread rapidly.
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The fires could spread across Europe (Image: Getty)
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High temperatures and dry weather make fires more likely (Image: Getty)
Across the Channel, dozens of firefighters are battling a “forest fire” at a National Trust site in Suffolk, officials have confirmed.
Around 70 firefighters are at the scene of the blaze in Dunwich Heath, a nature reserve that has been managed by the National Trust since 1968.
A major incident has been declared.
The UK is experiencing high pressure, which will continue to generate dry, fine and warm conditions before a change of weather type will bring a fresher feel to all parts of the UK by the end of the week.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Paul Gundersen said on Wednesday: “A temperature value of 35°C today will be the seventh day of 2026 when the UK has recorded a value of 35°C or higher.”
“Prior to this year, the record was five days of 35°C or above in a single year set in 1976.”
