©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Albert Llop
Europe has been suffering for weeks from persistent heat and drought, and the impact remains devastating, especially in Southern Europe. Major wildfires are raging in France and Spain, resulting in mass evacuations, destroyed homes, and increasing warnings for tourists and residents.
In the French department of Gironde, authorities issued a clear warning on Sunday: tourists must stay away. Prefect Sophie Brocas urged people not to travel to the region until the fire is under control and stated that a return to the evacuated municipalities remains out of the question for the time being. According to the prefecture, more than 220,000 people have now been evacuated, and the fire has destroyed approximately 42,000 hectares of natural habitat. The damage is enormous. In Gironde, 240 homes have already been reduced to ashes—about 170 of them in Le Porge alone—while 75 firefighters were injured while battling the blaze. The fire, which broke out Wednesday near Saumos, is one of the worst in recent French history.
Largest wildfire in Spanish history
The situation is also serious in Spain. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as a precaution in the Madrid area and the Valencia region, and according to Spain’s Minister of Ecological Transition, the fire near Ávila is the largest wildfire in recent Spanish history. One person had already lost their life in previous fires in the region.
Scorching temperatures on the way again
Meanwhile, authorities in Gironde are warning that the fire could intensify again as temperatures rise. Extremely hot weather is expected to return starting Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees. The mayor of Bordeaux has ruled out a full evacuation of the city for now, but emphasized that all scenarios remain on the table as long as the fire is only 15 kilometers from the city.
The ground operation is impressive: thousands of firefighters, military personnel, and security forces are working to bring the fire hotspots under control. But with the heat far from over, the threat to large parts of Southern Europe remains extremely real.
©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Albert Llop - Thousands of evacuees are taking refuge at the Bordeaux Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a temporary emergency shelter following the major wildfire in the Gironde department in southwestern France. French authorities have converted the exhibition halls into a shelter for people who were forced to leave their homes.