France, Spain Battle Record Wildfires as Macron Calls It Worst Crisis Since WWII
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 28
France, Spain Battle Record Wildfires as Macron Calls It Worst Crisis Since WWII
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jul 28
Summary
Fire crews in France and Spain are racing to contain fast-moving wildfires before another heat wave arrives, with Macron calling France's fire emergency unprecedented since World War II.
The warning reflects a rapidly worsening toll: France had already logged 13,566 outbreaks and 116,085 hectares burned, while fires near Bordeaux and Madrid remained active.
Spain has reported 2 deaths in Castellón and Valencia, and earlier evacuations swelled to 55,000 around Madrid and 200,000 in France's Gironde region.
The blazes have been fueled by intense heat and parched vegetation after a wet winter, underscoring how extreme weather is amplifying wildfire risk across southern Europe.
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?