Firefighters are struggling to contain the wildfires that are rampant in France and Spain, as Europe is depleted under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities have linked to an increase in excess mortality.
Two large fires that have consumed pine forests for six days just south of the city of Bordeaux in southwestern France have forced the evacuation of some 14,000 people, many of whom had to spend their holidays in campsites.
In Spain, firefighters supported by emergency brigades of the armed forces are trying to extinguish more than 30 fires that consume forests spread across the country.
The Spanish Department of National Defense said “most” of its firefighting aircraft have been deployed, as many areas are rugged, mountainous terrain that makes it difficult for ground crews to access.
So far, there have been no deaths from fires in France or Spain. In Portugal, the pilot of a firefighting plane died on Friday when his plane crashed.
Camera Icon 3-year-old Greenla’s Bayla Gouveia is buried in the sand at Margate Beach. Credit: Hollie Adams / Getty Images Camera IconA man enjoys the sun on his boat on the River Thames. Credit: Frank Augstein / APCamera IconPeople enjoys sunny weather on the banks of the River Thames, near Hammersmith in London. Credit: Frank Augstein / APCamera IconPeople cool off in the water on a hot, sunny day on the beach in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: Emilio Morenatti / AP
But as temperatures remain unusually high, heat-related deaths have skyrocketed.
In Spain, the second heat wave of the summer has kept highs above 40ºC in many areas.
According to the Carlos III Institute of Spain, which records daily temperature-related fatalities, 237 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 14, compared to the 25 temperature-related deaths of the five days previous.
In France, a forest fire in La Teste-de-Buch, near the Atlantic coast, has forced 10,000 people to flee.
The Gironde regional government said on Sunday that “the situation remains unfavorable” due to gusts of wind that, combined with hot and dry conditions, have caused more flames overnight.
A second fire near the town of Landiras, south of a vineyard valley in Bordeaux, has forced authorities to evacuate 4,100 people this week, including about 1,900 on Saturday.
Camera Icon Many nations in southern Europe and the United Kingdom are preparing for an extremely hotter climate. Credit: APCamera IconA family applies sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun on a hot, sunny day in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: Emilio Morenatti / APCamera IconPeople use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun on the beach on a hot, sunny day in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: Emilio Morenatti / APCamera IconA man sits under an umbrella to protect himself from the sun while begging for money on the street during the hot weather in Madrid, Spain. Credit: Paul White / APCamera IconTwo men cool off with water from a public sprinkler on a hot, sunny day in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: Emilio Morenatti / AP
Authorities said a flank has been controlled by the dumping of white sand along a 2km stretch. Another flank, however, remains out of control.
Some of the most worrying fires in Spain are concentrated in the western regions of Extremadura and Castilla y León.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has announced a joint command that will be in charge of coordinating efforts to fight the fires that are active in the contiguous regions.
Firefighters have been unable to stop the advance of a fire that broke out near the city of Cáceres that threatens Monfrague National Park and has prevented 200 people from returning home.
Another fire in southern Spain near the city of Malaga has forced the evacuation of 2,500 more people. There are more fires near the central city of Ávila, in the northwest of Galicia, among other areas.
Hungary, Croatia and the Greek island of Crete have also battled wildfires this week, as have Morocco and California.
Burning temperatures have reached as far north as the UK, where its Met Office weather agency has issued its first “red warning” of extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures in the south of England could reach 40ºC for the first time. time.
This will still be relatively bearable compared to the 47C recorded on Wednesday in the northern Portuguese city of Pinhao, setting a new national record.