Wildfires in France and Southern Spain Force Over 250,000 to Evacuate, One Elderly Man Dead

Wildfires in France and southern Spain force over 250,000 people to evacuate, one elderly man dead

July 26

Wildfires raging along the southwestern coast of France spread toward the city of Bordeaux on July 25, forcing thousands of residents in the suburbs to evacuate to safety, while neighboring Spain also reported its first wildfire-related death.

According to statements from relevant authorities, the wildfires remain difficult to control, and the number of people forced to flee in both Spain and France has exceeded 250,000.

Climate change-induced drought and severe heatwaves have led to this natural disaster. In central Spain, about 70,000 locals have been evacuated, while in France, approximately 197,000 people, including tens of thousands from the Bordeaux wine-producing region, have been displaced.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on social media that the current wildfires are the worst in the country's history.

In the wildfire-affected areas of France, temperatures have reached an average of 32.2 degrees Celsius, more than 7.3 degrees Celsius higher than the average temperature 30 years ago.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also told reporters that the wildfires would take a long time and great effort to extinguish.

Additionally, as firefighting teams struggle to cope, the French military has been deployed to assist, using A400M military aircraft for firefighting operations.

Similarly, in Spain, homes have been reduced to ashes due to the spread of wildfires. Two of three major fires near Madrid merged on July 24, prompting the Spanish government to declare a national state of emergency.

Furthermore, the Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed that an elderly man died inside his car due to a wildfire near the Valencia coast.

Currently, with support from the European Union (EU), firefighting aircraft from Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, and Portugal have been dispatched to assist Spain's wildfire suppression efforts.


Ref & Photo; Reuters, The Guardian

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