Tens of Thousands Flee Wildfires Sweeping Across Europe

More than 20,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and campsites in southern France after a fast-moving wildfire swept through the Bay of Arcachon, west of the city of Bordeaux. The fire broke out while many families were on school holidays, camping near the beach. French authorities called in more than 700 firefighters to try to stop the blaze from spreading further. The emergency is part of a dangerous summer across Europe, where extreme heat and dry conditions have caused wildfires in several countries.

French officials ordered the evacuation of about 12,000 people from the area around the Bay of Arcachon. Another 8,800 people were moved away from their homes as a safety measure, even though they were not in immediate danger. Philippe de Gonneville, the mayor of a nearby town called Lège-Cap Ferret, described how the situation changed overnight. 'Overnight, the fire spread more quickly than we had imagined,' he said.

The town of Lège was the most threatened of the 11 villages on the nearby peninsula. Authorities evacuated 5,200 people from the area overnight and completely closed off access roads. Officials also put emergency plans in place to evacuate the entire peninsula by both road and sea if the fire got worse. Later, the fire reached the edge of Lège itself, forcing more campgrounds and neighbourhoods near the forest to clear out.

Wildfires were not just a problem in France. In neighbouring Spain, firefighters were still battling blazes that had been burning for several days. A wildfire near a major train route between Madrid and Barcelona forced officials to stop train services for a period of time, though trains were running again by Thursday. Meanwhile, in Italy, a 59-year-old firefighter died after becoming ill while fighting a large wildfire near San Cataldo, on the island of Sicily.

In Italy, investigators found evidence that some fires were started on purpose. Arsonists were reported to have tied rags to the tails of cats and set them on fire, causing the animals to spread flames across fields. Candles and devices made to start fires after a delay were also found at the scene. 'These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire,' said Domenico Costarella, an official from Calabria's civil protection agency.

The fierce heat driving these fires has had deadly consequences. France's public health agency estimated that about 5,764 more people than normal died between June 17 and July 2, when temperatures rose above 30 degrees Celsius. This kind of extra death toll linked to extreme heat is called 'excess mortality.' While this number is still lower than the devastating heatwave of 2003, experts warn the full impact of this summer's heat has not yet been counted.

Scientists say Europe is warming faster than most parts of the world. Temperatures across the continent are rising more than twice as fast as the global average. Weather tracking data showed that on Thursday, the average high temperature across Western Europe was nearly 3 degrees higher than what was normal for that time of year between 1961 and 1990. Experts say that as the climate continues to change, extreme heat and wildfires are likely to become more common and more severe.