Two Dead in Spain Wildfire as Heatwave Intensifies Across Europe

MADRID (July 2, 2025) — Two people have died in a wildfire in northeastern Spain, where emergency crews are battling flames amid a severe heatwave sweeping across Europe.

Authorities in Catalonia on Tuesday ordered roughly 14,000 residents to remain indoors after two wildfires broke out almost simultaneously in the province of Lleida. The bodies were found near the city of Coscó, according to a statement from the regional fire and emergency services. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials point to extreme heat, dry conditions and high winds from nearby storms as contributing factors.

President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, expressed condolences on X (formerly Twitter), saying he was “dismayed after learning of the death of two people as a result of the fire.”

Earlier the same day, regional police confirmed the death of a two-year-old child who had been left inside a parked vehicle under direct sunlight for several hours.

Spain is currently experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in several regions. Multiple records for the month of June have been broken this week as Europe faces one of its hottest summers on record.