Much of Europe has seen back-to-back heatwaves this summer. Scientists warn that human-driven climate change will increase the intensity and frequency of heatwaves.
Two firefighters died on Tuesday while tackling a fire that broke out near France's Bordeaux international airport, officials said on Tuesday.
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According to reports by French media, the blaze broke out from a brush fire near one of the airport's parking lots, before spreading to a building.
Several access routes to the airport were closed to facilitate the emergency services' intervention. The airport said in a statement that the fire was causing delays to some flights.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced expressed his "immense sadness", sending "sincere thoughts to their families, their loved ones, their brothers and sisters in arms, as well as to all the staff of the Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service".
"I also want to commend the exceptional work done by their colleagues on the ground who are demonstrating exemplary courage and dedication in these particularly difficult conditions," he continued in a message posted on his X account.
President Emmanuel Macron also offered "condolences, recognition and support of the Nation" to relatives and friends of the two victims, as well as to all firefighters in France.
Wildfire rips through southern France
On Tuesday, a separate wildfire erupted in the Var region in southern France, forcing hundreds from their homes and leaving many without power.
Firefighters said Wednesday that the fire had been brought under control.
"For the moment it's been contained in its perimeter, meaning it's not spreading much," regional fire chief Eric Grohin told reporters.
"Nevertheless, we still have many hot spots, flames in numerous places, so we are being very vigilant this morning," he said.
According to French weather service Meteo-France, the dry conditions in the area are what caused the extreme forest-fire risk. Repeated heatwaves and drought resulted in an earlier outbreak of the 2026 wildfire season.
Wildfires have burned more than 42,000 hectares of land in France by mid-July this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) reported.
The devastated area is about four times the size of Paris. And the area burned so far in 2026 has already far exceeded the total for all of 2025. France's all-time annual record stands at 66,300 hectares burned in 2022.
Firefighters have been battling near-daily outbreaks across France in recent weeks. Last week, President Emmanuel Macron said that there had not been so many blazes in the country since World War II.
Spain's largest wildfire of the year
Wildfires are also raging in other areas across Europe, including in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
In Spain, over 600 firefighters and troops and 29 aircraft on Tuesday tackled for a sixth day a massive wildfire north of Madrid.
Authorities described the fire, which broke out in the province of Guadalajara, as one of the most difficult and significant wildfires they have faced in Spain this year.
The fire has scorched 30,000 hectares of land so far, and roughly 1,200 people were evacuated from their homes.
The blazes come as Spain faced its third heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, further complicating firefighting efforts.
Earlier this month, the country experienced one of its deadliest wildfires in recent history when a fire scorched through the Almería province, killing 13 people.
Much of Europe has seen back-to-back heatwaves this summer, a stark reminder that the continent is the fastest-warming compared to any other continent.
Scientists warm the human-caused climate change are the cause of more frequent and intense heatwaves, while also creating conditions for sudden, destructive storms.