Record heat and drought have fueled massive wildfires in France and Spain, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate in Europe’s largest displacement since World War II.
Rising temperatures later this week could complicate efforts to battle the blazes that have scorched an area four times the size of Paris in southwestern France and are raging near Spain's capital, Madrid.
Climate data shows Europe is heating faster than anywhere else on Earth. The continent has already faced extreme heat events multiple times this year.
Firefighters in Spain have called the blazes so violent that they could not be tackled head-on. But the first glimmer of hope emerged Monday in France that the spread of a giant fire in the southwestern Gironde region may have slowed.
Europe's above-average temperatures, with a prolonged heatwave in June, have contributed to drought conditions. Record-breaking temperatures in Western Europe compounded low rainfall levels as the extreme heat drew moisture from vegetation, creating abundant fuel that allows flames to spread faster and burn more intensely.
