Firefighters race to extinguish blazes across EU as fire weather breaks records
Summary
Fire weather in the European Union has been much worse than usual this year, causing large wildfires in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. These fires have burned large areas, forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate, and resulted in the deaths of three firefighters in Greece.Key Facts
- The wildfire season in the EU has been 43% more severe than the average for this time of year over the past 20 years.
- About 435,000 hectares (over 1 million acres) have burned in 1,400 fires, which is roughly three times the usual area burned.
- France has set a new record with 91,000 hectares burned so far this year, including a large fire near Bordeaux causing a rare thunderstorm.
- Spain has seen 207,000 hectares burned, nearly five times the average, with its largest wildfire on record near Madrid.
- Over 300,000 people in France and Spain have been forced to leave their homes due to the fires.
- EU countries have sent firefighting help, including planes, helicopters, and crews from Romania and Greece.
- The deaths of three firefighters have been reported in Greece while fighting blazes on Crete and the mainland.
- Hot, dry, and windy weather, worsened by carbon pollution, is causing the fires and making them hard to control.
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