Volunteer firefighter dies in Savoie Alpine wildfire

A 22-year-old volunteer firefighter has died while battling a wildfire in the Savoie region of the French Alps, officials announced Wednesday, as a wave of blazes continues to scorch southern Europe. The death underscores the extreme danger facing emergency crews amid an early and severe wildfire season fueled by prolonged heat and drought.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed the firefighter's death, stating the young volunteer had been part of overnight firefighting efforts in Savoie. The tragedy occurred as hundreds of fires have burned across the continent, devastating tens of thousands of hectares of land in France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Croatia, and Albania since late June. The European Union has activated its Civil Protection Mechanism, prepositioning a record 777 firefighters from 14 countries and deploying additional water-bombing aircraft to assist.

One of the most severe fires has been burning near Perpignan in southwestern France, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department. Authorities have evacuated more than 10,000 residents as the fast-moving blaze, fueled by strong winds and tinder-dry conditions, threatened homes. By Wednesday, the Trevillach fire had...