NewsWorld newsThe record-breaking hot and dry summer tightened its grip today with wildfires still raging in areas of Greece and France.17:54, 04 Aug 2026Europe's Wildfires Hit Greece & TurkeyThe record-breaking hot and dry summer tightened its grip today with wildfires still raging in areas of Greece and France.‌Europe is Earth’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service.‌Rising temperatures and prolonged drought leave vegetation drier and more combustible, allowing fires to spread faster.‌The wildfires west of Athens jumped containment lines a day after a midair collision between two helicopters killed two crew members.A British national working for the Greek firefighting service survived the crash.He was set to be released from a local hospital this week after making a good recovery from the accident.‌In France, firefighters near Bordeaux guarded against potential flare-ups inside a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris.The Athens region remains at high risk with hundreds evacuated. Strong winds returned to southern Greece, pushing flames into mountain home clusters, destroying farms and property, and closing a highway.‌Areas surrounding the Greek capital remain at high risk through the week with temperatures set to rise further.More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital, including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area.‌“This is a difficult fire that has troubled us,” Fire Service spokesman Yiannis Artopios said, adding that 12 water-dropping planes and 11 helicopters were operating in the area.The blaze was blamed on a faulty power line from a wind farm, leading to the arrests of two contractors on charges of negligent arson.Authorities say 33 people were arrested from June 29 to Aug. 2 for starting fires, including 30 through negligence and three on suspicion of arson.Article continues belowMost of the negligence cases involved farm work carried out despite local bans, including prohibited welding.From first light today, crews were working against the clock. Winds typically pick up in the afternoon. The army deployed tracked earth movers to carve fire breaks across the scorched hillsides. Specialist units pushed into forest areas on foot to extinguish embers before they could reignite.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Greece wildfires