Wildfires Rage Across Europe Amid Record Heat: Greece Wildfire Kills Two on Salamis, Belgium Battles Biggest Blaze in a Century, Croatia Death Toll Stands at One, UK Sends Mass Emergency Alert and Breaches NHS Safety Limits

Britain's PM banned disposable barbecue sales and deployed the military as wildfires hospitalised 19 people during an extreme heatwave.

Nineteen people were taken to hospital as wildfires broke out across the West Midlands during a UK heatwave, with the country recording its hottest day of 2026 at 38.1°C. Residents of Stourbridge — one of the affected areas — described Thursday as 'horrendous,' 'distressing,' and 'one of the scariest days of my life,' with many attributing the fires directly to climate change. UK Prime Minister Burnham convened an emergency Cobra meeting and announced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues to reduce ignition sources during what officials described as dangerously dry, 'tinderbox' conditions. The military was also brought in to assist. Environmental campaigners welcomed the move but warned it did not go far enough. Authorities subsequently sent a mass emergency alert to phones across England and Wales warning of wildfire risk and urging the public not to light barbecues, campfires, or anything else that could spark a fire. The alert provoked a split public reaction: many complained online that its piercingly loud tone was an 'overreach,' while others used the moment to lament the lack of government action on decarbonisation. The heatwave is taking a severe toll on NHS capacity and patient safety. Figures disclosed by 33 NHS trusts show that ward temperatures during July rose above the 28°C limit set by NHS England, with conditions described as 'dangerously hostile.' Doctors and nurses are reporting a rise in heat-related illnesses among patients, including dizziness and fall injuries, while healthcare workers are also suffering in stifling conditions. The Royal College of Nursing warned that nurses are fainting due to 'inhumane' working conditions and called for more air conditioning in healthcare facilities. Burnham is facing growing pressure to more formally recognise the urgency of climate adaptation. The broader economic and agricultural impact of the heatwave is also becoming apparent, with arable farmers in Lincolnshire reporting that 'boom-bust' climate patterns have disrupted normal seasonal routines to the point where some are choosing to take holidays rather than farm during what would ordinarily be a busy period. The UK crisis is part of a broader European emergency, as record-breaking heat grips the continent — described as the world's fastest-warming. In Croatia, a wildfire in the Lokva Rogoznica and Omiš areas — near the tourist town of Omis — has killed one person, whose body was discovered by firefighters, and injured more than 40 people, with around 1,000 residents and visitors forced to evacuate. Officials have described the blaze as one of the worst in Croatia's history. In Greece, a wildfire on the island of Salamis has killed two people — a couple — as gale-force winds fanned fires across the country. In Belgium, aircraft have been deployed to fight what authorities say is the country's biggest wildfire in more than a century, burning near the German border in a nature reserve. Fires are also burning in France, Germany, and Spain. French authorities arrested hundreds of people on suspicion of arson as blazes spread across the country, which has experienced its driest year on record, forcing over 500 people to evacuate in the Landes region. In the UK, firefighters also spent a second night battling a 'devastating' blaze in the New Forest. A former UK government scientific adviser warned that worse conditions are still to come.

Why it matters

The simultaneous deployment of military resources, emergency Cobra meetings, and a retail sales ban signals the scale of the wildfire threat posed by the heatwave. The hospitalisations and fires across the West Midlands show the immediate public safety consequences of dry, hot conditions.

What's next

Campaigners are pressing for measures that go beyond a temporary ban, so further policy decisions on open-fire restrictions may follow depending on how long the heatwave persists.

Key facts

• 19 people were hospitalised during wildfires in the West Midlands
• PM Burnham announced a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues
• The military was deployed to assist with the wildfire response
• Burnham chaired an emergency Cobra meeting in response to the extreme heat
• Burnham initially said he was 'considering' the barbecue ban before moving to implement it
• Environmental campaigners said the ban did not go far enough

Bias & framing notes

All three sources are from The Guardian, so there is no independent corroboration from separate outlets. The reporting evolves across the three pieces — from 'considering a ban' to 'bans' — reflecting a fast-moving story rather than contradictory facts. The framing consistently foregrounds critics who say the measures are insufficient, with less attention given to the government's own stated reasoning for the specific steps taken.

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