Severe wildfires in southern Europe: tens of thousands fleeing in Spain and France
Severe wildfires are raging in Spain and France; in southwestern France around 12,000 people had to be evacuated, and in the Spanish region of Guadalajara some 32,000 hectares burned. In Italy a firefighter died. Authorities warn of continued very high fire risk.
A heatwave is fanning wildfires in several southern European countries. Al Jazeera (Qatar) reports that in the Spanish region of Guadalajara around 32,000 hectares burned down, one of the largest fires ever recorded in the country. Xinhua (China), citing media, reports that some 12,000 people had to be evacuated in southwestern France. Le Monde (France) quotes Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez as saying the country has experienced 22 major fires since the start of the year, four times as many as in the same period last year, and reports the death of a firefighter in Italy. The state-aligned Turkish Daily Sabah highlights above all the warning from emergency services that the risk of further fires is very high in the coming days. The sources differ little on the facts but emphasize different aspects, from the climate dimension to acute disaster response. In agreement, they paint the picture of an exceptionally early and fierce fire season.