Severe wildfires in France and Spain have led to the evacuation of more than 360,000 residents as heatwaves create ideal conditions for the fires to spread rapidly.
Authorities have deployed thousands of personnel and military resources to combat the blazes, while concerns grow over the increasing frequency of such events due to climate change.
Blazes raging in parts of France and Spain show no sign of abating and have forced more than 360,000 people to leave their homes, after successive stifling summer heatwaves created the ideal conditions for wildfires to thrive.
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In France’s southwestern Gironde region, 55,000 people were evacuated overnight, officials said on Sunday. France is among the worst-affected countries in Europe, with around 42,000 hectares (103,780 acres) of land in Gironde alone already burned in one of the largest wildfires the country has endured since the Second World War. So far, some 250,000 people have been evacuated from the region..
The flames are advancing towards the famous wine-growing port city of Bordeaux. Its mayor, Thomas Cazenave, said in a post on X that the city was “prepared to welcome in the best possible conditions all the evacuated individuals who have no backup housing solution”.
More context: French Volunteers Save Trout and Salmon as Rivers Dry Up in Record Heat.
The blazes in Europe have renewed questions about the impact of climate change.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said that last month was the hottest June in western Europe on record and the second-warmest globally. Both Germany and the UK broke temperature records for three straight days.
Also read: Western Canada Faces New Wildfires Triggered by Thousands of Lightning Strikes.
Background: Experts reject Trump’s accusations against Canada over wildfire smoke affecting US air quality.
French and Spanish firefighters are struggling to contain the blazes, with teams in some areas lacking the capacity and resources to respond efficiently. The situation has triggered concerns about how authorities will deal with future wildfires, which are likely to worsen as temperatures continue to increase.
Since the blazes broke out on Tuesday, some 1,500 military personnel have been deployed by French authorities, along with 1,700 security personnel and 1,400 firefighters. Military planes have also been used to drop flame retardants.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday that five aircraft and two helicopters had been dispatched to France by the European Union.
Neighbouring Spain has declared a national emergency, with more than 116,000 people having been evacuated due to fires west of Madrid and in the east coast region of Valencia. Firefighters there found an elderly man dead inside his car on Saturday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said around 130,000 hectares of land have already been burned in the country this year, warning that there are “complex times ahead”.
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