Firefighters and helicopters battle deadly wildfires in Spain
Firefighters in Spain are battling a deadly wildfire that has claimed at least 12 lives amid a severe heat wave in Western Europe. The blaze has scorched 66 square kilometers of land, though favorable weather conditions are expected to assist containment efforts.
Why it matters
Increasingly frequent and intense heat waves in Europe are creating dangerous conditions for wildfires, posing significant threats to public safety and ecosystems.
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BEDAR, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters backed by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft struggled on Saturday to contain one of Spain’s deadliest wildfires that erupted earlier this week and killed a least 12 people.
The blazes, which also lashed France this week, came as parts of Western Europe are facing their third heat wave in six weeks . Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
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