French wildfires present ‘most difficult situation since WW2’
France and Spain are battling record-breaking wildfires exacerbated by an intense heatwave, with leaders describing the situation as the most difficult since World War II. Thousands have been evacuated as authorities warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of these events.
Why it matters
The severity of these wildfires highlights the growing impact of climate change on European infrastructure and public safety.
Firefighters in France and Spain were racing against the clock to get control of ferocious wildfires that have burned through vast areas of the Mediterranean as another heatwave closes in.
French president Emmanuel Macron warned that conditions would get tougher as he visited a firefighting operations centre in the hard-hit region of Gironde, where the blaze has caused uncontrollable “firestorms”.
“We are facing a situation today that is the most difficult we’ve seen, the most difficult since the second World War,” he told emergency responders, noting that the usual August peak of the wildfire season is still to come.
More than 250,000 people have been evacuated in France, where a fire of record size has reached the outer suburbs of the city of Bordeaux, while the largest fire in Spain’s history has forced over 90,000 people from their homes.
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