Two dead as wildfire rages through Spain amid scorching European heat wave

A fast-moving wildfire in northeastern Spain claimed two lives, as extreme heat continues to grip much of Europe, setting record temperatures and straining emergency services.

Authorities confirmed the fatalities after the blaze tore through the rural province of Lleida in Catalonia before firefighters were able to bring it under control, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Catalan regional president Salvador Illa announced the deaths in a social media post shortly after midnight, stating, “The loss of life is a tragedy that weighs heavily on us all.”

The wildfire erupted amid a sweltering heat wave that has pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels across the continent. Spain and Portugal have both recorded historic highs for the month of June, contributing to an increased risk of wildfires in vulnerable rural and forested regions.

Dos personas fueron encontradas sin vida por elementos del cuerpo de bomberos cuando realizaban labores de extinción del incendio declarado en la comarca catalana de la Segarra, al noreste de España, que afecta a unas 5,000 hectáreas y obligó a las autoridades a confinar a unas… pic.twitter.com/Yfm83f3DGQ

— NMás (@nmas) July 2, 2025

The blaze sent a towering column of smoke into the sky and quickly engulfed large swaths of the countryside. In response, emergency services issued urgent warnings to residents via smartphone alerts and ordered 14,000 people to remain indoors as a precaution. The shelter-in-place order was lifted later that evening as containment efforts advanced.

According to fire authorities, the inferno scorched approximately 6,500 hectares (roughly 16,000 acres) before crews managed to establish a perimeter around the affected area and declare the fire under control.

By Vafa Guliyeva