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Live updates: France and Spain wildfires; more than 300,000 displaced by wildfires as hotter weather looms
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Wildfires near Madrid and across southwestern Europe are being actively fought, with some progress reported in containment, but authorities warn of difficult hours ahead due to extreme heat and dry conditions.
- Over 250,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain, with significant destruction reported in France's Gironde region, including 140 homes lost and entire villages devastated.
- Rising temperatures, drought, and climate change-driven heatwaves have exacerbated wildfire conditions, with forecasts predicting continued high temperatures and little rainfall in affected areas for at least the next week.
- Firefighters from multiple countries, including Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Germany, are assisting in efforts to control the fires, while authorities emphasize the scale of the crisis as the largest evacuation in France since World War II.
- Despite the fires threatening areas near Bordeaux, the region’s vineyards remain currently unaffected, with experts noting that grapes are not yet vulnerable to smoke taint at this stage of growth.
