Three of EU's 15 largest wildfires since 2016 occurred in July

Three wildfires that broke out within days of each other in Spain and France this month are among the 15 largest recorded in the European Union since 2016.

The largest wildfire in Spain's recent history broke out in the province of Avila, west of Madrid, on July 22.

The blaze, which is still burning, has already scorched almost 44,000 hectares (109,000 acres), according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), making it the sixth-largest wildfire recorded in the EU over the past decade.

A wildfire that broke out in the Guadalajara province, east of Madrid, is now the 14th-largest recorded in the EU since 2016, with more than 33,000 hectares burned.

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