Two huge fires, which have consumed pine forests for six days in southwestern France, have forced the evacuation of about 14,000 people. Water-dropping planes zigzagged over the area near Bordeaux as flames fell on the edge of a farm and smoke billowed the horizon above a mass of tear-streaked trees, in images released by firefighters. In Spain, firefighters supported by military brigades tried to put out more than 30 forest fires that spread across the country. Spain’s Ministry of National Defense said the “majority” of its firefighting aircraft have been deployed to reach the flames, many of which are in steep, hilly terrain that is difficult for ground crews to access. The fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after a dry, hot spring that the European Union has attributed to climate change. Some countries are also facing prolonged droughts, while many are being battered by heat waves. So far, there have been no deaths from fires in France or Spain. In Portugal, a pilot of a firefighting plane was killed when his plane crashed on Friday. But as temperatures remained unseasonably warm, heat-related deaths soared. In Spain’s second heat wave of the summer, many areas have repeatedly seen peaks of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which records daily heat-related deaths, 360 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 15. This compared with 27 temperature-related deaths in the previous six days. The death of a street sweeper after suffering from heat stroke while working has led Madrid city hall to allow its street sweepers to work at night. Almost all of Spain was on high temperature alert for another day on Sunday, while heatwave warnings were in place in about half of France, where scorching temperatures were expected to rise further on Monday. The French government has stepped up efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heat wave and poor planning led to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2003, especially among the elderly. Meanwhile, the fire in La Teste-de-Buch has forced 10,000 people to leave the area as many flock to the nearby Atlantic coast region for a holiday. And the authorities closed access to Europe’s highest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat. The Gironde regional government said Sunday afternoon that “the situation remains very unfavorable” due to gale-force winds that helped fuel more outbreaks overnight. “Emergency services are prioritizing the protection of the population, the preservation of sensitive areas and limiting the progress of the fire,” authorities said, without specifying when they might be able to bring it under control. A second wildfire near the town of Landiras forced authorities to evacuate 4,100 people this week. Authorities said one side has been brought under control by dumping white sand along a stretch of two kilometers (1.2 miles). Another side, however, remains unchecked. People who were forced to leave shared their concerns about their abandoned homes with local media, and local officials organized special trips for some to bring the pets they had left behind in the rush to safety. In total, more than 100 square kilometers (40 sq mi) of land have been burned in the two fires. Emergency officials warned that high temperatures and winds on Sunday and Monday would complicate efforts to stop the fires from spreading further. “We have to remain very prudent and very humble, because the day will be very hot. We don’t have a favorable weather window,” regional fire official Eric Florensan told France-Bleu radio on Sunday. Some of the most alarming fires in Spain are concentrated in the western regions of Extremadura and Castile and León. Images of plumes of dark smoke rising above sun-baked wooded hills have become common in several sparsely populated rural areas. Drought conditions in the Iberian Peninsula have made it particularly susceptible to fires. Since last October, Spain has received 25% less rainfall than is considered normal – and some areas have received up to 75% less than normal, the Department of Homeland Security said. While some fires have been caused by lightning and others by human negligence, a fire that broke out in a nature reserve in Extremadura called La Garganta de los Infiernos, or “The Throat of Hell,” is believed to have been the result of arson, regional authorities said. Firefighters have been unable to stop the advance of a fire that broke out near the town of Cáceres that threatens the Monfragüe National Park and has prevented 200 people from returning to their homes. Another fire in southern Spain near the city of Malaga forced the evacuation of another 2,500 people. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s office said he would travel to Extremadura to visit some of the worst-hit areas on Monday. Hungary, Croatia and the Greek island of Crete have also battled wildfires this week, as have Morocco and California. Italy is in the midst of an early summer heatwave, combined with the worst drought in the north in 70 years – conditions linked to a recent disaster, when a huge chunk of the Marmolada glacier broke off, killing several hikers. Hot temperatures have even reached northern Europe. An annual four-day hiking event in the Dutch city of Nijmegen announced on Sunday that it would cancel the first day, scheduled for Tuesday, when temperatures are expected to peak around 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit). Britain’s Met Office has issued its first “red warning” for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures in southern England may reach 40C (104F) for the first time. The chief executive of the College of Paramedics, Tracey Nicholls, warned on Sunday that the “savage heat” could “ultimately result in people dying”.
Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writer Mike Corder contributed from The Hague, Netherlands.
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