In southwestern France, a wildfire has scorched over 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres), becoming the largest fire of the season. Approximately 40,000 people have been evacuated, and 80 homes have been destroyed, with 50 completely razed. There have been no reported casualties so far. France currently has 32 active wildfires of varying intensity.
The total area of land burnt so far this year in EU countries is the second largest on record, according to satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The blazes are breaking out faster due to climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels. European droughts are now more severe, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution group.
Two wildfires near Madrid remain uncontained and out of control, complicating firefighting efforts due to strong winds. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has deployed all available resources to combat the fires, describing the situation as 'dramatic' not only in Spain but also in neighboring countries.
Hundreds of people fled by boat from the Cap Ferret peninsula in western France as authorities ordered evacuations due to a rapidly advancing wildfire. The blaze had devoured an area nearly twice the size of Manhattan by early Friday.
France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that the country has surpassed 50,000 hectares burned since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the figure from last year. The situation underscores the escalating threat of wildfires driven by climate change.
