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On Saturday, wildfires raged in southwestern France and Spain, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as scorching summer temperatures heightened authorities’ alert in parts of Europe.
By Saturday afternoon, about 14,000 people had been forced to evacuate from France’s Gironde region as more than 1,200 firefighters battled the flames, regional authorities said in a statement. “We have a fire that will spread as long as it is not contained,” said Vincent Ferrier, deputy officer in charge for Langon in Gironde, at a news conference.
In recent weeks, wildfires have raged across France, as well as other European countries such as Portugal and Spain, and more than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of land was already on fire in the Gironde region on Saturday, up from 7,300 hectares on Friday.
In the most recent weather alert, 38 of France’s 96 departments were designated as “orange,” with inhabitants urged to be cautious. The heatwave in western France is expected to peak on Monday, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104 Fahrenheit).
On Saturday, firefighters in neighbouring Spain were battling a series of fires following days of unusually extreme temps reaching up to 45.7 C. (114 F).
According to the Carlos III Health Institute, the well almost week-long heatwave has resulted in 360 heat-related deaths.
A large wildfire near Mijas, a town in the province of Malaga popular with northern European tourists, has forced more than 3,000 people to flee their homes, the region’s emergency services said in a tweet early Saturday.
Many were taken to a provincial sports centre for safety.
“The cops drove up and down the road, sirens blaring, and everyone was told to leave. Simply leave. There are no instructions on where to go “said 83-year-old British pensioner John Pretty.
“It’s frightening… because you don’t know exactly what is going on,” said Jean-Marie Vandelanotte, 68, a Belgian resident.
In other news, thick black clouds of smoke rose into the air near Casas de Miravete in the Extremadura region of Spain as helicopters dumped water on flames that had scorched 3,000 hectares, forced the evacuation of two villages, and threatened to reach the Monfrague national park.
Fires were also raging in Castille and Leon’s central region, as well as Galicia in the north.
There was some relief for fire crews in Portugal on Saturday, when temperatures dropped across the majority of the country after reaching around 40 C (104 F) in recent days.
“We’ve had major fires, and we don’t need them to rekindle… This weekend, we will be extra vigilant “Andre Fernandes, Commander of the Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, told reporters.
