"Unpredictable" Wildfires Engulf France And Spain, 3,00,000 Evacuated
Massive, unpredictable wildfires are ravaging parts of France and Spain, leading to the evacuation of over 300,000 people. Officials are struggling to contain the blazes, which are being exacerbated by extreme heatwaves and climate change.
Why it matters
The scale of these evacuations and the intensity of the fires highlight the increasing threat of climate-driven natural disasters in Europe.
France fought an "unpredictable" wildfire close to Bordeaux on Sunday while Spain warned of "difficult hours" in its own fiery battle, with evacuations from danger zones in both countries mounting to well over 300,000 people.The forest infernos, raging for days unchecked in France's southwest and in central Spain near Madrid, were among the worst each nation has seen in peacetime.France's major fire remained unchecked and volatile -- driven by gusts that in some cases were generated by the turbulent blazes themselves.Photo Credit: ReutersSpanish officials, however, voiced optimism they were starting to get a grip on some fires -- though on the weekend they were confronted with a new fire front, near the eastern coastal city of Valencia, which forced 15,000 people to flee."Difficult hours lie ahead admittedly," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said as he visited the fire zone in Avila province west of Madrid, though he pointed to some…
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