Around 12,000 people have been evacuated from southwestern France as the country battles wildfires days after two firefighters died near Bordeaux airport, French media reported.

The Gironde region government said more than 2,000 hectares (4,000 acres) of land have been destroyed.

The use of electric and internal combustion engines has been banned in predominantly forested areas and several roads have been closed. No injuries were reported Thursday.

Meanwhile, in Italy, authorities have paid tribute to a firefighter who died fighting a forest fire in San Cataldo, while Sicily’s president, Renato Schifani, wished a “speedy recovery” to another involved in the same operation.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi paid tribute to the late firefighter Alessandro Marchi, who he said died “serving the community.”

“He will not be forgotten,” he said in a post on X.

In an update on Wednesday, Sicily’s Civil Protection chief, Salvo Cocina, said more than 350 fires had broken out on the island, including ten large ones, prompting precautionary evacuations.

He said the fires had human causes, adding that firefighting has become a social and public order problem.

Meanwhile, in France, the AFP news agency reported that 10,000 tourists were among those evacuated.

France has been paying tribute to the two firefighters who died earlier in the week. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez posted photos of an event that took place on Wednesday, the day after their deaths were announced.

He said the moment was filled with “immense emotion” as he expressed “infinite gratitude” and “unwavering support” to their families.

The Gironde region remains under red alert and some leisure venues in exposed forest areas will remain closed on Thursday afternoon and evening.

The area is one of several French departments recently devastated by wildfires during a series of unusual and prolonged heat waves that have swept through Europe this summer.

Madrid has also been affected by the fires, but overnight most evacuated residents were told they could return to their homes, with the exception of one area in Villa del Prado.

A nearby fire continues to burn and almost 90 people and a helicopter have been deployed to control the flames.

Emergency services said they had carried out a “direct attack” on the fire and shared a video on social media showing emergency services workers approaching the flames with hoses.

Local authorities continued to warn Thursday morning of an “extreme fire risk.”

Spanish meteorological service AEMET said temperatures of up to 36C are forecast on Thursday afternoon.

Countries across Europe have experienced record temperatures in recent months.

A report published in April by the Copernicus Climate Change Service found that at least 95% of Europe experienced “above average” annual temperatures in 2025 and identified Europe as the fastest warming continent.

The area burned by wildfires and fire emissions reached record levels last year, according to the report.