More than 200,000 people have been evacuated in Spain and France as major wildfires made a comeback this month in Europe amid extreme heat, dry vegetation and strong winds.
Spain’s central government declared a national emergency under the country’s National Civil Protection System—the first such declaration prompted by wildfires this year. Around 40,000 people in the Madrid region were either evacuated or ordered to remain indoors while rescue and firefighting operations continued. Two major fires west of Madrid merged, while another large blaze devastated areas of the neighbouring province of Ávila.
In France, mass evacuations were ordered across the southwestern departments of Gironde and Landes. The entire Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination near Bordeaux, was evacuated, with some residents and tourists escaping by boat across the Arcachon Bay. The fires destroyed dozens of homes and a campsite, while at least 42 firefighters were injured.
Both Spain and France requested assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as their emergency services struggled to contain the fires. Italy and Greece sent water-bombing aircraft to Spain, while France received firefighting aircraft and helicopters from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The fires followed successive heatwaves that left large parts of southern and western Europe exceptionally dry. Climate change, which scientists have underpinned with green-house gas emissions, is increasing the frequency and intensity of the extreme heat and wildfire conditions affecting the European continent
Footage below of Madrid region.
Newsroom
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