Heat and fire generate overlapping problems for much of southern Europe | CNN

Heat and fire generate overlapping problems for much of southern Europe | CNN reports worsening wildfire and heat conditions across southern Europe, where officials said nearly 20 people remain unaccounted for after a blaze near Spain’s Mediterranean coast. At least 12 people were killed and four suffered severe burns in the wildfire near Almería, described as the first in Europe this year to claim multiple victims. The report links the disaster to unusually early and intense fire seasons driven by heatwaves after an exceptionally wet winter left abundant vegetation. It cites European Forest Fire Information System data showing the European Union recorded 314 fires larger than 30 hectares so far this year, nearly double the 158 recorded at the same point in 2024, and that 160,000 hectares had burned by July 8. Beyond immediate harm, it says fires increase carbon dioxide and toxic smoke, referencing research on thousands of premature deaths after Spain and Portugal fires last August. The bulletin also warns of extreme conditions across France, Spain, and northern Portugal, with smoke drifting toward the Atlantic from Portugal’s central fires.