Severe wildfires driven by extreme heat and climate change are devastating southern Europe, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving three firefighters dead.
In France over 23,000 people have fled the Bordeaux region and Atlantic coast. The European Union is deploying three water-bombing planes to assist after President Emmanuel Macron requested emergency aid. Tragically two firefighters lost their lives battling blazes near the Bordeaux airport.
Spain has declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, evacuating more than 10,000 residents as fires burn out of control. Smoke has reached the capital, and strong winds are complicating operations. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the crisis as "dramatic".
In Italy emergency teams are fighting scores of fires in Sicily and Calabria, where one firefighter died after falling ill. Shockingly local officials reported that arsonists intentionally spread flames using cruel methods involving stray cats.
Fueled by temperatures exceeding 40°C and severe droughts the fires are spreading rapidly. The European Forest Fire Information System notes that the total land burned this year is the second-largest on record. Climatologists emphasize that these intense blazes are exacerbated by climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.
Highlighting the growing threat to communities Spanish civil protection chief Virginia Barcones warned that some fires are now so intense that frontline responders stand "no chance".
