Devastating European wildfires in maps - and how they're being tackled - BBC
Severe wildfires are ravaging parts of France and Spain, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate amid record-breaking summer heatwaves. The fires have created dangerous 'fire thunderstorms' and threaten critical infrastructure in the region.
Why it matters
The scale of these wildfires and the emergence of rare weather phenomena highlight the increasing impact of climate change on European safety and infrastructure.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Tom Bennett and the Visual Journalism team AFP Wildfires are tearing through France and Spain, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes.
France has seen its worst fires in two decades, while officials in the Spanish capital Madrid say they are the worst the region has ever experienced.
It follows a sweltering summer of heatwaves across Europe that have seen temperatures soar above 40C (104F) in many places.
Wildfires in the regions outside Madrid have burned about 254 sq miles (660 sq km) since 1 July, authorities estimate - an area larger than the city itself.
In France, the worst affected area is Gironde, around the city of Bordeaux, where more than 200,000 people have been forced from their homes.
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