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Gallery|Climate Crisis

Photos: Wildfires rage as parts of Europe battle record heatwave

Wildfires in southwest France and Spain force thousands to be evacuated as blistering temperatures put the region on alert.

A firefighter works to contain a fire that broke out near Landiras, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France
A firefighter works to contain a fire that broke out near Landiras, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France. [Handout via Reuters]
Published On 17 Jul 202217 Jul 2022
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A summer heatwave that has triggered devastating forest fires across Southwest Europe shows no signs of abating, as parts of the continent gear for new temperature records early next week.

Firefighters in France, Portugal, Spain and Greece are battling forest blazes that have ravaged thousands of hectares of land and killed several people since the start of the week.

It is the second heatwave engulfing parts of Southwest Europe in weeks as scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather.

Firefighters in the coastal town of Arcachon in France’s southwestern Gironde region were fighting to control two forest blazes that have devoured more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) since Tuesday.

“It’s a herculean job,” said an official from the fire and rescue service, which has 1,200 firefighters and five planes in action.

In the latest weather warning, 38 of France’s 96 departments were listed on “orange” alert, with residents of those areas urged to be vigilant.

The heatwave in western France is expected to peak on Monday, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

In neighbouring Spain, firefighters are battling a series of blazes after days of unusually high temperatures that reached up to 45.7C (114F).

The nearly weeklong heatwave has caused 360 heat-related deaths, according to figures from the Carlos III Health Institute.

More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from homes due to a large wildfire near Mijas, a town in the province of Malaga that is popular with Northern European tourists, the region’s emergency services said in a tweet.

Fires were also burning in the central region of Castille and Leon and in Galicia in the north.

There was some respite for firefighters in Portugal, where temperatures dropped across most of the country on Saturday after reaching about 40C (104F) in recent days.

A total of 39,550 hectares (98,000 acres) area was ravaged by wildfires from the start of the year until mid-June, more than triple the area razed by fires in the same period last year, data from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests showed.

An area equivalent to almost two-thirds of that has burned during fires in the last week.

Portugal’s Health Ministry said 238 people had died as a result of the heatwave between July 7 and 13, most of them elderly people with underlying conditions.

Authorities in the French Alps urged climbers bound for Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, to postpone their trip due to repeated rock falls caused by “exceptional climatic conditions” and “drought”.

The call comes after a section of Italy’s biggest Alpine glacier gave way at the start of the month, killing 11 people, in a disaster officials blamed on climate change.

firefighters using hose to fight a wildfire near Landiras, southwestern France,
Several hundred firefighters struggled to contain two wildfires in the Bordeaux region of southwest France that have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people and ravaged more than 7,000 hectares of land. [Handout via AP]
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Canadair plane fighting wildfire near La Teste-de-Buch, southwestern France,
A Canadair plane fighting a wildfire near La Teste-de-Buch, southwestern France. [Handout via AP]
Wildfire advances near a residential area in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, Spain
Wildfire advances near a residential area in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, Spain. [Gregorio Marrero/AP Photo]
a firefighter works to extinguish a forest fire in the Monsagro area in western Spain
A firefighter works to extinguish a forest fire in the Monsagro area in western Spain. [Handout via AP]
A helicopter launches water as a wildfire advances near a residential area in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, Spain
A helicopter launches water as a wildfire advances near a residential area in Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, Spain. [Gregorio Marrero/AP Photo]
Smoke and flames rise from the forest fire in Monfrague National Park, in Caceres, Spain,
Smoke and flames rise from the forest fire in Monfrague National Park, Caceres, Spain. [Ismael Herrero/EPA]
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A firefighter fights the flames surrounding Ancede village during a wildfire in the municipality of Baiao, North of Portuga
A firefighter fights the flames surrounding Ancede village during a wildfire in the municipality of Baiao, North of Portugal. [Hugo Delgado/EPA]
A firefighter aircraft Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss drops water in a wildfire near Bustelo, east of Amarante, north of Portugal
A firefighting aircraft drops water on a wildfire near Bustelo, east of Amarante, north of Portugal. [Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP]


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