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Fires

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Europe sees disasters coming. Can it act in time?

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Iran

Another tanker ablaze near Hormuz after two ships sunk in attacks

Iran said monitoring teams found the unnamed vessel ablaze after it entered a prohibited zone with its tracking systems disabled, two days after the container ship GFS Pride sank following a fire and the cargo ship Cape Dao also went down after being struck by a projectile.

15 October 2026

Health news

Vulnerable people urged to stay home as African dust hits Portugal

Air quality will worsen in coming days across much of mainland Portugal due to North African dust, especially in central and southern areas; health authorities urge vulnerable people to take extra care.

4 September 2026

Europe News

Greece issues code red wildfire alert for Ionian islands

The alert comes as Greece is at the height of the summer holiday season, with beaches packed with both domestic and international tourists.

Europe News

Over 2,000 emergency personnel tackle wildfires in Portugal

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (source in Portuguese) has placed nine districts under orange warning until 18:00 this Tuesday, with the rest of mainland Portugal, except Lisbon, Setúbal and Faro, under yellow warning.

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Europe News

Fires rage in Europe as Belgium sees biggest blaze in recorded history

The fire in eastern Belgium doubled in size over 24 hours by Sunday morning. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated on Saturday, with three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft arriving from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

Europe News

Tourists rescued by boat as forest fire threatens Greek beaches

A fire service spokesman said the evacuation had to be by sea as the flames were getting close to the beaches.

EU.XL

Why the EU is betting on prevention in its new wildfire strategy

Europe's record-breaking wildfires forced the EU to rewrite its wildfire playbook, shifting its strategy and billions in funding from battling flames to preventing catastrophic fires before they start.

Earth News

What are fire tornadoes and why are they so dangerous?

Fire tornadoes can rapidly change fire behaviour and make firefighting more dangerous.

EU.XL

EU deployed its biggest wildfire response. Is it what Europe needs?

As wildfires rage across southern Europe, the EU has deployed its largest shared firefighting force. But the crisis exposes a growing gap between emergency response and wildfire prevention. Watch the video.

EU.XL

What tools does the EU have to fight wildfires? Are they enough?

Europe’s wildfire crisis is testing the limits of the EU’s emergency response system, exposing a gap between growing firefighting capacity and slower efforts to make landscapes less flammable.

EU.XL

What should the EU prioritise to tackle wildfires? Take our poll

The EU is deploying its largest-ever firefighting force in southern Europe to help countries battle wildfires. But is it enough, and what should Brussels prioritise?

Europe News

More than 100 firefighters battle wildfire near Athens

The fire broke out at around 3:30 p.m. on Friday on the slopes of Mount Poikilo, in the Aspropyrgos area, west of Athens.

No Comment

Crete wildfire kills two firefighters as fierce flames spread in Greece

Wildfires continue to burn across Crete, Greece, where two firefighters died as strong winds fuelled the blaze and aircraft joined rescue efforts.

Climate

Sixth-generation wildfires: Why they are more dangerous and how to fight them

Fires like those burning for a week in France and Spain are so intense they often make direct firefighting impossible, marking a new pattern driven by climate change that calls for a tailored response.

Europe News

Sánchez: "The scale of the disaster we are living through is very hard

The joint appearance by the unified command tackling the fires in Madrid, Ávila and Toledo and the prime minister underlined close cooperation. They urge the public to focus on prevention and act with caution.

Health news

Smoke, warnings and masks: New York braces for the World Cup final

A thick blanket of smoke from Canada’s wildfires has worsened air quality in New York and New Jersey, where Spain and Argentina will meet in Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.