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France evacuates thousands as fires displace a third of a million in southwest Europe
NPR • • world
Key Points:
- French authorities ordered the evacuation of 4,000 more people along the Atlantic coast due to a large wildfire west of Bordeaux, potentially the largest peacetime evacuation in France, with about 220,000 people displaced so far.
- The Gironde fire has burned an area four times the size of Paris and created a rare pyrocumulonimbus cloud, intensifying firefighting challenges amid rising temperatures and dry conditions.
- In Spain, around 330,000 people have been evacuated due to wildfires, with some evacuation orders being lifted after firefighting progress, but the country braces for a fourth heat wave with temperatures exceeding 40°C in parts.
- Firefighters continue battling multiple large wildfires in both countries, with significant property damage reported, including about 150 homes destroyed near Bordeaux, and at least 13 deaths in Spain this year from wildfires.
- Officials warn that despite some containment, risks remain high due to smoldering vegetation, heat, and drought, and both France and Spain emphasize the growing threat of climate change to wildfire severity and frequency.
