Wildfires kill firefighters as blazes spread across Europe

An uncontained wildfire in southwest France threatened to surge again on Wednesday, while three firefighters died battling separate blazes in Greece. Strong winds also fueled new fires in Türkiye, underscoring the wildfire threat across southern Europe.

In France's Gironde region, the country's biggest wildfire had not spread during a calm night, authorities said. But as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon and winds strengthened, the reprieve threatened to be short-lived.

Investigators believe contractors working near a high-voltage line owned by power-grid operator Enedis ignited the blaze while using a brush-cutting machine, Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul said.

Gironde authorities ordered 4,000 more people out of tourist sites along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday, while 60,000 evacuees were authorized to return to three Bordeaux suburbs untouched by fire.

Two firefighters died on Wednesday while battling a wildfire in the Rethymno region of Crete. They were among about 125 firefighters confronting flames fanned by strong winds, with four helicopters and four water-dropping planes deployed.

A third firefighter also died on Wednesday after tackling a separate blaze in Greece's southern Peloponnese region.

Strong winds fueled multiple forest fires across Türkiye's southwestern provinces of Mugla and Antalya on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a state hospital and the closure of major highways.

In Mugla, Seydikemer State Hospital was evacuated after flames threatened nearby residential areas, with all patients safely transferred to other medical facilities, Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said.

According to local authorities, the fire started in an agricultural area in the Seydikemer district before spreading to forestland. A section of the Fethiye-Antalya highway was subsequently closed as advancing flames and dense smoke spread across the area.

Neighboring Antalya province was also battling multiple wildfires. Authorities said 12 separate fires had broken out across the province, with firefighters bringing 10 under control, while the situation remained critical in Kumluca district, where the Kumluca-Kemer highway was closed to traffic.

Tens of thousands of people began returning home in central Spain after firefighters made progress around Madrid and Avila. Evacuation orders were lifted for about 20,000 people in the Madrid region, while stay-at-home restrictions ended for another 14,000.

But 10,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Castellon, where a fire was still out of control as Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer.

(With input from agencies)