Hundreds arrested in France as destructive wildfires spread across Europe

European emergency services are battling fierce wildfires triggered by a record-breaking heatwave, with French authorities arresting nearly 500 individuals on suspicion of starting blazes since July 1. France’s interior ministry reported that 474 people, including 183 minors, have been detained, with approximately 70% suspected of intentional arson. In south-west France, a rapid blaze in the Landes region consumed nearly 1,100 hectares of pine forest in under 24 hours, prompting the emergency evacuation of more than 525 residents from the village of Luglon.

The severe weather conditions have caused destruction and displacement across multiple European countries. In Croatia, a gale-driven wildfire swept through the coastal tourist town of Lokva Rogoznica, leaving one person dead, 40 injured, and forcing 1,200 people to evacuate to emergency shelters. In western Germany, over 2,000 residents fled the village of Gey as a forest fire advanced, while emergency crews faced additional hazards from detonating Second World War ammunition buried in the terrain.

Elsewhere on the continent, military personnel in north-east Spain evacuated the historical remains of three 11th-century kings from the San Juan de la Peña monastery as flames threatened the site. In northern Greece, a fleet of small boats rescued approximately 500 holidaymakers stranded on beaches along the Halkidiki peninsula after a two-mile fire front threatened local resorts. Firefighters in the UK also faced severe conditions, as wildfires across the West Midlands destroyed several residential properties.