France and Spain Race to Stop Wildfires Before New Heatwave Arrives

Firefighters in France and Spain are working around the clock to stop huge wildfires before another heatwave arrives later this week. In France, about 220,000 people — including tourists and local residents — have been told to leave their homes. In Spain, around 100,000 more people have also been evacuated or told to find shelter. The fires are burning through forests, threatening cities, and causing serious damage to local communities.

In France, the fires broke out last week near the Atlantic coast. They have now crept to within 15 kilometres of the city of Bordeaux, one of the most important wine-producing regions in the world. Jerome Steffe, the mayor of Cestas — a suburb just outside Bordeaux — described the situation in stark terms. 'This is a fire of a size never seen before,' he said. French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to the region to see the damage for himself.

In Spain, three separate fires were still burning in the mountains northwest of Madrid. Authorities said that a combined 77,000 hectares had burned across the provinces of Madrid, Toledo, and Avila. The fire in Avila has been called the biggest wildfire in recent Spanish history. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska urged people to stay hopeful. 'Today and tomorrow are absolutely crucial days in tackling this wildfire,' he said.

Firefighters in one area of Spain faced an unusual and deadly danger. In the town of Vall d'Uixó, in the Castellon province, the ground contains old weapons left over from the Spanish Civil War. These explosives can go off when fire reaches them, making the job of fighting the blaze much more dangerous. Fire chief Chevi Bolumar described the situation as especially difficult and alarming for crews working in that area.

Scientists say this kind of extreme fire is called a 'sixth-generation fire.' These are the most powerful and hard-to-control fires that exist. They can create their own weather patterns and burn thousands of hectares every single hour. Many scientists link these fires and intense heatwaves to climate change caused by human activity. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the wildfires were 'more ferocious' and that 'heatwaves are more frequent' than they used to be.

People forced to leave their homes said the experience was heartbreaking. Maria Angeles Serrano, an evacuee from Castellon, said she was upset not just about buildings or belongings. 'Material damage is one thing, but that can be repaired, so to speak. What really hurts is the emotional loss,' she said. Her words captured the feelings of many people who watched the landscape they loved burn to the ground.

Temperatures in both the Bordeaux region and Avila have been running about 6 degrees Celsius higher than normal for July. That is far above the average high recorded between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor. France's weather service warned that temperatures near Bordeaux could climb back up to 37 degrees Celsius later in the week. Spanish officials said that weather conditions would become much harder for firefighters starting Wednesday.

Other countries have stepped in to help. Under a European Union emergency plan, Greece and Italy each sent two water-bombing aircraft to Spain. Portugal sent more than 100 soldiers and pieces of equipment to assist. Two more planes were on their way from Turkey. Switzerland also sent two helicopters and their crews to help France after being asked by the French government.