‘Ash fell from the sky’: Tourists describe fleeing ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires in France
Massive wildfires in France and Spain have forced over 375,000 people to evacuate their homes as heatwaves exacerbate the situation. Tourists and residents describe apocalyptic scenes as authorities struggle to contain the blazes.
Why it matters
The event underscores the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven natural disasters in Europe, impacting both local populations and the tourism industry.
There are fears another heatwave coming this week will worsen the still-raging wildfires. There are fears another heatwave coming this week will worsen the still-raging wildfires. Wildfires ‘Ash fell from the sky’: Tourists describe fleeing ‘apocalyptic’ wildfires in France Hundreds of thousands of residents and holidaymakers in France and Spain have been forced to evacuate
Prefer the Guardian on Google Wildfires have forced about 375,000 people to leave their homes in France and Spain .
In France , nearly 260,000 have had to flee, while in neighbouring Spain 116,000 have been evacuated as the wildfires continue to wreak havoc across southern Europe.
Authorities in France have been battling to contain a huge wildfire near Bordeaux, meanwhile, while Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has warned that Spain and the Iberian peninsula were suffering the effects of the climate emergency.
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