Devastating European wildfires in maps - and how they're being tackled
Summary
Large wildfires are burning in France and Spain, forcing over 300,000 people to leave their homes. The fires are some of the worst in recent memory, fueled by a very hot and dry summer, and are being fought using planes, firefighters, and firebreaks.Key Facts
- Wildfires have forced more than 300,000 evacuations in France and Spain.
- France has seen more land burned in this year than any other time this century.
- The Gironde area near Bordeaux is heavily affected, with fires burning about 162 square miles in four days.
- The fires are close to sensitive military and industrial sites, including French ballistic missile facilities.
- The fires have created rare fire thunderstorms, which produce lightning that can start new fires.
- Firefighters use planes that drop water and retardant to control the flames.
- Bulldozers create firebreaks—clear areas with no plants—to stop fire from spreading.
- Climate change and the summer heatwaves have made conditions drier and hotter, worsening the fires.
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