In France’s Gironde region, the country’s biggest blaze had not spread during a calm night, authorities said. A fire burns in a forest near Claouey, during wildfires in southwestern France, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Météo-France said Wednesday would be the hottest and driest day of the week, with elevated wildfire danger across every region of France. A third firefighter also died Wednesday outside the fire perimeter, after tackling a separate blaze in Greece’s southern Peloponnese region. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Alex Turnbull in Souge, France, and John Leicester and Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed.