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Wildfires, heat, and maps
Wildfires in France and Spain are threatening populations and economies, with temperatures across the continent set to rise to up to 40°C this week and authorities calling on support from across Europe to tackle the blazes.
In the region around Bordeaux, French media quoted Lieutenant-Colonel David Annotel of the National Federation of French Firefighters saying 42,000 hectares of land in Gironde had gone up in smoke, while the i Paper reported that 220,000 people were evacuated from homes in the region.
The i Paper also said satellite imagery and mapping of wildfire hotspots on Monday showed the scale of the challenge facing governments and responders as the fires spread further.
French President Emmanuel Macron convened a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday morning, and the i Paper reported that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the flames no longer seemed to be moving towards Bordeaux itself but response teams needed to remain very concentrated if conditions changed.
In Spain, the i Paper reported that Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the next couple of days will be “decisive” as fire crews battle to hold back the flames from both the ground and the air.
Fire clouds and science
The BBC reported that France’s main fire in the Gironde region has caused an unprecedented “pyrocumulonimbus” described as a giant fire thunderstorm fuelled by its own winds and lightning, and it quoted spokesman Eric Brocardi saying, “We cannot fight it directly.”
In the same BBC account, Macron warned that France is still battling the most severe blazes since World War II, while the BBC said weather forecasts warned temperatures could spike to 40C in some areas from Tuesday.
The i Paper framed the intensity of the fires through a scientific lens, quoting Víctor Resco de Dios, a lecturer in forestry engineering and global change at the University of Lleida in Spain, saying, “We have entered an era of fires that cannot be extinguished.”
The i Paper also quoted Francesca Di Giuseppe, a fire forecast coordinator at the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, saying a relatively wet spring promoted vegetation growth and increased potentially burnable material before persistent heat, limited rainfall and low humidity rapidly dried soils and vegetation.
Across both countries, the BBC reported that more than 330,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain, as the fires raged primarily in France and Spain over the past week.
Evacuations, response, and risk
As wildfires continue to spread, the BBC said more than 330,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain, and it reported that the fire was about 15km (9 miles) from Bordeaux with no plans to evacuate the population of about 850,000.
“Wildfires raging in parts of France and Spain have forced more than 325,000 people from their homes, with officials warning of “difficult days ahead” as firefighters battle to bring the blazes under control”
In Spain, the BBC reported that firefighters battled a new blaze on Sunday near the eastern coastal city of Valencia where around 15,000 people were forced to flee their homes, and it quoted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling for “a major public pact on the climate emergency.”
The Al Jazeera report said wildfires raging in parts of France and Spain have forced more than 325,000 people from their homes, with officials warning of “difficult days ahead” as firefighters battle to bring the blazes under control.
Al Jazeera also reported that the fires have destroyed at least 240 homes and were advancing towards the wine region city of Bordeaux, while it quoted Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave saying the fire was “at the gates of the metropolitan area,” about 15km (9 miles) away at its closest point.
Looking ahead, Al Jazeera said weather forecasters warn another heatwave could hit Europe with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104F) in some areas, further complicating firefighting efforts.
