Wildfires fueled by record-breaking heat and drought conditions have caused widespread destruction of rare wildlife habitats across the United Kingdom, Greece, and parts of southern Europe, officials and conservationists reported this week.

In the UK, an unprecedentedly dry July saw grassland fires erupt across England and Wales, damaging ecologically sensitive areas and threatening vulnerable species. England experienced just 5.6 millimeters of rainfall last month, less than half the previous lowest July total recorded in 1911. Wales recorded 7.9 millimeters, roughly one-third of its 1911 low. These conditions contributed to numerous wildfires, including a significant blaze at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk that scorched 371 acres near the Sizewell B nuclear power facility. The fire began in the adjacent RSPB Minsmere wetland and rapidly spread to the heath, which supports rare birds such as the Dartford warbler, nightjar, and woodlark. Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, described the event as “devastating” for the habitat.

Adam Rowlands, area manager for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Suffolk, said the recovery of these habitats could take up to 25 years. “The acrid smell and evidence give a sense that animals have perished in the flames,” he said. Wildfires also ravaged the Sychnant Pass in North Wales, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest notable for its rare invertebrate species and unique aquatic plants. The blaze, which occurred on July 12, severely damaged local populations of small mammals, reptiles, and lizards.

In Greece, firefighting teams faced intense challenges as large blazes spread near Porto Germeno, about 45 miles west of Athens. Authorities evacuated residents from affected villages after hundreds of homes were destroyed. Theodore Giannaros, a wildfire meteorologist at the National Observatory, estimated that the fires around Porto Germeno had burned approximately 10,000 hectares, nearly twice the original figure, and described the event as a “megafire” with over 12,000 hectares of forest and farmland damaged. Two people died in a midair collision between firefighting helicopters near Psatha, west of Athens; the pilot of British nationality and a Greek fire officer involved survived.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged that Greece was confronting “extreme weather conditions,” including wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour, which hampered firefighting efforts and complicated containment. Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas said aerial firefighting measures were insufficient to control the blazes. Additional fires on the islands of Crete and Paros have burned over 6,000 hectares, resulting in fatalities among firefighters in Crete and the Peloponnese.

Elsewhere in southern Europe, Spain has begun lifting evacuation orders for residents displaced by wildfires, with 208,000 people allowed to return home after initial evacuations of 220,000. Fires near Zamora in northeast Spain were contained through aerial firefighting efforts. In southwestern France, fires have consumed approximately 63,000 hectares since early July, with the largest blaze near Bordeaux’s Gironde region now brought under control.

The ongoing wildfires underscore growing concerns about the impact of extreme weather patterns on natural habitats and human communities across the region, prompting calls for enhanced wildfire management and climate resilience strategies.