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Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as massive wildfires rage in Spain and France.
One blaze near Madrid has been described as the largest wildfire in recent Spanish history, while another newer one near Valencia has shrouded huge areas in smoke. Spain has declared a state of emergency.
The authorities near the city of Bordeaux in southwest France warned that the vast wildfire there could pick up speed in this week’s predicted heatwave. Once declared Europe’s most liveable cities, Bordeaux is in danger of becoming uninhabitable and mass evacuations are a reality.
The cost of the flames is measured in billions. And we watch the fiery rage on television while sweltering in our homes ahead of more sleepless heatwave nights. We’re all seeing it and feeling, and yet politics across the board is heading away from tackling climate change.
