Three heatwaves and record wildfires hit western Europe, killing 13 in Spain

Three waves of extreme heat in July 2026 dried out plants across western Europe, making them easy to burn. Wildfires killed 13 people in Spain's Almería region and burned more land in France than ever before. France, Portugal, and Spain each broke wildfire records for mid-July. Firefighters using 30 planes still fought fires in Spain on July 17. Portugal asked Europe for firefighting planes on July 3.