Forest fires prompt evacuations across Southern Europe amid extreme weather

In Spain, a forest fire that broke out late Monday in the Barranco de las Cinco Villas region, south of Avila province, has created a “serious risk situation,” authorities said.

The blaze, which ignited at approximately 11:10 pm local time (0910 GMT), rapidly spread under strong winds and is affecting several municipalities, including Cuevas del Valle and Mombeltran, El Salvador reported.

The regional government of Castile and Leon activated the highest emergency alert level, citing the advancing planes near populated areas.

The municipality of Mombeltran, with a population of nearly 1,000, was placed under partial lockdown as a precaution. The Unidad Militar de Emergencias has been mobilized to assist the firefighting effort.

Elsewhere in Spain, authorities reported additional fires in the Madrid region, notably in Zarzalejos, where the situation is now stabilized, and on the island of Tenerife, where evacuations were ordered as a precaution.

In Bulgaria, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov noted that firefighting efforts are beginning to yield results, with overall wildfire activity showing signs of decline.

“Fires in the country are decreasing, tensions are easing, and some of them have been brought under control, such as the one in Tran,” Mitov said at an operational briefing, the Bulgarian news agency reported.

He praised the efforts of the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection and urged citizens to act responsibly, warning that “most of the fires are caused by negligence or deliberate actions.”

In France, Meteo-France has placed six southern departments on “high” fire alert, the Ouest-France reported.

These include Var, Bouches-du-Rhone, Vaucluse, Gard, Aude, and Pyrenees-Orientales.

On Monday, a fire near Marseille forced the closure of the A7 and A51 motorways in both directions, disrupting traffic and temporarily suspending landings at Marseille-Provence Airport.

The Bouches-du-Rhone prefecture issued warnings on X, advising residents to avoid the area and not to attempt travel through Aix-en-Provence or Vitrolles due to smoke hazards.

The “forest weather” forecast also indicates continued high fire risk in parts of southern France through Wednesday, with Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhone, and Aude remaining under heightened vigilance.