Record wildfires scorch western Europe as triple heatwaves kill 13 in Spain

Three July 2026 heatwaves parched vegetation across western Europe, killing 13 in Spain's Almería province and burning record-breaking acreage in France. France, Portugal, and Spain each set mid-July wildfire records. Firefighters backed by 30 aircraft fought northeastern Spain's blazes on July 17. Portugal had pre-requested EU aerial firefighting support on July 3.