France Evacuates 40,000 as Madrid Wildfires Merge and Spain Declares Emergency
Updated
Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jul 24
France Evacuates 40,000 as Madrid Wildfires Merge and Spain Declares Emergency
3 articles · Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jul 24
Summary
More than 40,000 people were evacuated in southwestern France over two days as an out-of-control wildfire swept the Atlantic coast, with authorities saying the blaze was still not contained Friday.
10,000 hectares have burned in Gironde, where 53 houses were destroyed, while another fire in Biscarrosse spread across 2,600 hectares and damaged or destroyed 105 homes and buildings.
In Spain, two of three major wildfires west of Madrid merged into a single blaze after strong winds and extreme heat drove rapid spread, prompting the government to declare a national emergency.
At least 19,000 people in the Madrid region were evacuated or told to stay indoors, and the fires there have burned about 6,000 hectares in what regional officials called the worst wildfire crisis in Madrid's history.
The EU deployed four firefighting aircraft to Spain and three to France as heat, drought and wind intensified wildfire risks across southern Europe and North Africa.
With climate change fueling unstoppable mega-fires across Europe, are coastal tourist havens like Cap Ferret becoming too dangerous for summer habitation?
As 10-meter flames trap thousands on a French peninsula, can the EU emergency fleet arrive in time to avert a historic tragedy?
After losing firefighters to unpredictable blazes, how will overwhelmed European nations adapt their strategies to fight these increasingly apocalyptic firestorms?