Several wildfires burned across the Italian island of Sicily on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of residents as firefighters worked to contain the spread. Other European countries are also battling wildfires fuelled by hot, dry weather, with scientists warning that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat and drought, particularly in southeastern Europe.In Sicily, firefighters said they have carried out more than 1,000 operations since Saturday, with all fire stations placed on double shifts as blazes spread across the island.The latest wildfire, near Agrigento in western Sicily, forced the evacuation of around 100 residents from nearby homes and a clinic. Authorities transferred 22 patients to other healthcare facilities while firefighters worked to protect an oxygen storage plant located close to the fire.Italy’s Civil Protection agency has placed the whole of Sicily under its highest wildfire risk alert for several days. Strong winds and temperatures nearing or exceeding 40 degrees Celsius have fuelled fires from Palermo in the north to Catania in the east and Agrigento in the west.The crisis comes as several European countries grapple with extreme heat and worsening wildfire conditions.In Spain, firefighters continued battling a massive wildfire in Guadalajara, where more than 32,000 hectares have burned, making it one of the country’s largest wildfires on record. More than 200 firefighters, supported by aircraft and ground crews, remained deployed as authorities hoped to bring the nearly week-old blaze under control by Friday.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited the affected region on Wednesday, called for political unity in tackling climate change.“Year after year we clearly see how climate change kills and destroys wealth in our communities. This isn’t politics. It is science, it’s about facts,” Sánchez said.The Guadalajara wildfire has forced the evacuation of 34 villages, though no deaths or serious injuries have been reported.Spain has already recorded 22 major forest fires this year, each burning more than 500 hectares, while over 100,000 hectares have been scorched in the first half of 2026 alone, matching the country’s average annual burned area over the past decade.Elsewhere, Greece remained under an intense heatwave, with temperatures forecast to exceed 42 degrees Celsius and several regions, including the greater Athens area, placed on the highest wildfire alert.Cyprus also warned of temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius, while southern England continued to experience prolonged dry conditions. Thames Water imposed a hosepipe ban affecting around 10 million customers beginning Thursday.Meanwhile, France’s public health agency estimated that last month’s record-breaking heatwave contributed to at least 5,700 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, based on statistical modelling.Scientists say Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, is witnessing increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves, creating conditions that allow wildfires to spread rapidly across large areas.
