Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in France and Spain as firefighters struggle to bring massive, fast-moving wildfires under control before another heatwave strikes Europe.
In south-western France, a huge wildfire in the Gironde region has destroyed over 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) of forest and is now just 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the city of Bordeaux. French President Emmanuel Macron visited the region and warned that the nation is facing an unprecedented disaster, describing it as the toughest fire season since World War Two. More than 220,000 people across France have been evacuated as emergency crews work around the clock using mechanical diggers to build firebreaks.
In neighboring Spain, fires west of the capital city of Madrid have burned tens of thousands of hectares of land and forced over 100,000 people to flee. Spanish authorities stated that the next two days are crucial for containing the blazes before weather conditions worsen.
Firefighting efforts are expected to become much harder as a fresh heatwave pushes temperatures up to 40°C (104°F) across southern Europe. In response, the European Union has activated its emergency assistance mechanism, deploying firefighting aircraft and specialized teams from neighboring countries to support ground crews in France and Spain.
Officials and climate experts point out that rising global temperatures are creating parched conditions that fuel larger and more aggressive wildfires. Authorities have also urged extreme caution, noting that nine out of ten wildfires are triggered by human carelessness, such as discarded cigarette butts or unattended barbecues.