Two Firefighters Die as Record Wildfires Ravage France
Two firefighters were killed battling a blaze near Bordeaux-Mérignac airport as France endures its worst wildfire season on record. More than 42,000 hectares have burned since January, surpassing the 2022 record, with a separate out-of-control fire in the Var forcing evacuations. President Macron said France had not seen so many blazes since the Second World War.
The Bordeaux fire spread from brushland to an airport building, delaying flights, while some 600 firefighters fought a fast-moving blaze in the Pontevès commune, where 150 people were evacuated. France has recorded nearly 11,000 fires this year amid prolonged heatwaves, and ministers warned of “severe risk” across the south this week. The crisis spans the continent: Spain has lost tens of thousands of hectares north of Madrid with at least thirteen dead. For the many Britons holidaying in France and Spain this summer, the fires and heat are a direct concern. Watch escalating heatwave conditions and the strain on European emergency services.