One person dies in Greece, Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists in Italy and vineyards turn to ash in France as wildfires rage across Europe

At least one person in Greece has died after wildfires consumed nearly 16,000 acres of land amid a surge of fires across Europe. 

In the Keratea region, just south of Athens, an elderly man tragically died during the fire that broke out on Friday. Firefighters found his remains in a bed in a hut. 

As blazes continue to wreak havoc across the nation for a third day, the National Observatory in Athens said that the high winds that have been fanning the flames will persist until at least Monday. 

Over in Italy, Italian firefighters on Sunday tackled a wildfire on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists.

The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since Friday.

Reinforcement firefighters were on their way from other regions and the onsite teams were using drones to better monitor the spread of the fire, the service said on Telegram.

‘For safety reasons and… to facilitate firefighting and cleanup operations in the affected areas, all activities along the Vesuvius National Park trail network are suspended until further notice,’ the park said in a statement Saturday.

Nearly 620,000 people visited the volcano’s crater in 2024, according to the park.

The smoke from the fire could be seen from the Pompeii archeological site, which however remained open to tourists.

Over in France, about 1,400 firefighters were deployed Saturday in the southern Aude region to prevent the country’s largest wildfire in decades from reigniting, as all residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Aude prefect Christian Pouget said the fire has been contained since Thursday after burning this week more than 62 square miles in the wooded region, known for its wineries. 

Horrifying photos showed the fires left the vineyards as little than piles of ash.  

All roads have been reopened but authorities issued a strict ban on accessing the forest, Pouget said at a news conference on Saturday.

‘The fight is continuing, firefighters are still working on (fire) reignition,’ he said.

The blaze left one person dead and 25 people have been injured, including 19 firefighters, Pouget said.

High temperatures in the coming days are expected to complicate firefighters’ efforts.

‘The fire won’t be extinguished for several weeks,’ Col. Christophe Magny, director of the Aude fire department, said, pointing to several ‘hot spots’ that are being closely monitored.

France’s national weather agency Meteo France placed the southern half of France on a ‘high vigilance’ alert for heat wave, with temperatures expected in the Aude region of up to 39 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Monday is forecast to be the ‘hottest day nationwide,’ according to national weather service Meteo France.

In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which was devastated by flames. 

For livestock farmers in Fontjoncouse, the fire has ravaged grazing land and wiped out much of their flocks, fuelling outrage among those who said they did not have time to evacuate their herds.

Emmanuelle Bernier said she was ‘extremely angry’ when she returned to a devastating scene, finding the pen that had housed her herd of goats in ruins, with 17 animals – some close to giving birth – lost in the fire.

‘I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life,’ she said.

Bernier’s property now holds only a few geese and two sick goats after she had to temporarily entrust her surviving sheep to a local winegrower, as the damage to the farm was so extensive that they could no longer stay.

‘Everything here was built around the sheep, and seeing the flock leave was incredibly difficult for me,’ she said.

But as she surveyed the scorched landscape, Bernier voiced some hope for the future.

‘There’s still a little life left,’ she said.

Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four others were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt, including one with a head injury.

In neighboring Spain, firefighters continued to battle a wildfire in Avila province, over 62 miles west of Madrid. 

Víctor Fernández, a technician at the advanced command post, told reporters Saturday the fire was being contained but warned the next hours would be ‘critical.’ Extreme temperatures are expected to continue until at least next week, according to Spain’s national weather service.

The fire began on Friday afternoon with the Spanish Military Emergencies Unit working through the night to bring it under control and prevent it from approaching roads and train lines.

Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.