A Washington state bishop is calling for prayer as wildfires have torched entire neighborhoods, leading to thousands of evacuations and hundreds of destroyed buildings. “As our region continues to face the devastating effects of the wildfires, I ask all people of goodwill to join me in praying for our neighbors who have been forced to…
A forest fire in the south of France has revealed a cache of 400 historic shells and munitions in the village of Le Porge, according to local authorities. Blasts, initially thought to be exploding gas cylinders, may have been World War Two explosives detonated by the heat of the fires, the local fire commander told…
Firefighters and Hellenic Civil Protection personnel battle advancing flames during a wildfire near Agios Nektarios in Western Attica, Greece, as firefighting operations continue under difficult conditions. Nick Paleologos | Afp | Getty Images Greece is entering its second week of wildfires spread by extreme winds as more countries in Southern Europe battle with heatwaves. The…
People watch Old Trails Fire from W. Northwest Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. Young Kwak/AP hide caption toggle caption Young Kwak/AP Large numbers of residents in the city of Spokane have been told to urgently evacuate their homes due to rapidly moving wildfires in eastern Washington state. There are three larger and…
A small amount of rain fell near Bordeaux in France on Thursday, raising hopes that the Gironde wildfire that has burned an area larger than the US city of Detroit and destroyed 240 homes might soon be over. The region’s fire service said it was “reasonably optimistic” given that the fire had not grown in…
Two Greek firefighters have died after they became trapped tackling a wildfire that swept through the Rethymno area of Crete. Gale-force winds whipped up the flames prompting the evacuation of several villages, in the latest summer wildfire to break out in southern Europe. In southern Turkey, the main Fethiye to Antalya highway had to be…
The bloc’s crisis management chief calls for more investment and plans to be accelerated as an ominous heatwave looms. Published On 29 Jul 202629 Jul 2026 The European Union’s crisis management commissioner says the bloc needs to invest more in tackling climate change and accelerate its response, as France and Spain prepare for another crippling…
This summer’s fourth heatwave was expected to start by Wednesday, bringing temperatures in the area to 40C. Similar temperatures are expected in Spain. Dozens of communities are still threatened by wildfires that forced more than 70,000 to evacuate their homes over the last week. Spain has ended some evacuation orders, allowing about 44,000 people to…
The Madrid region is currently under a red weather warning, with temperatures expected to reach 35C in mountainous areas and 38C in other parts of the community. In its latest update, the national government’s delegation in Madrid said the fire “remains active and uncontrolled”. “Today’s efforts will focus on surveillance and cooling the affected areas…
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. France and Spain are preparing for even higher temperatures, after wildfires driven by an intense heatwave forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people over the past week. Fires in south-west France and central…
