France and Spain on Thursday gained a measure of relief after battling some of the worst wildfires in recent memory, which forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee, including Hollywood star George Clooney, his wife Amal and their twin children.
Elsewhere across Europe, however, new fires continued to erupt as the wildfire season intensified. Deadly blazes were reported in Greece, while firefighters also battled outbreaks in Britain, Portugal and Türkiye.
Scientists say the severity of this year's fires underscores the growing threat climate change poses to Europe, as hotter, drier conditions leave vegetation more combustible and drive increasingly intense and destructive wildfires.
France: 'Resolutely optimistic'
"We are resolutely optimistic. We can assume that the worst is behind us with this totally unprecedented fire," Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told BFMTV.
