Paris, France – France and southern European countries are experiencing an unprecedented wave of forest fires coinciding with record temperatures and strong winds, as French President Emmanuel Macron holds an emergency government meeting to discuss developments in the crisis, while the country receives military and human reinforcements from the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
Thousands of firefighters, soldiers and volunteers are working to contain the massive fire in the Gironde region of southwestern France, which has burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced some 220,000 people to evacuate.
Authorities explained that the fire produced a rare “fire cloud,” generating unpredictable winds and lightning, which hampered firefighting efforts. Meanwhile, authorities in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region urged tourists to postpone their trips to Bordeaux and evacuated the hotel area surrounding the city’s airport as a precaution, while police patrolled to prevent looting.
On the Spanish side, emergency personnel continue to battle widespread forest fires that have forced the evacuation of thousands in several regions, most notably Valencia and the province of Ávila, which experienced the largest fire in the country’s modern history. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that Spain and the entire Iberian Peninsula are clearly suffering the severe consequences of the climate crisis. Official estimates indicate that these fires are an extension of an exceptionally harsh summer that began earlier this year, with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius in France, threatening to exacerbate the crisis and further damage vegetation and property.
