Volunteer firefighter killed ​while battling wildfire in France

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThis photo shows a house destroyed by fire in Rodes on the outskirts of Ille-sur-Têt, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the south of France (AFP/Getty)A 22-year-old volunteer firefighter tragically died whilst battling a forest fire in the Savoie region of the French Alps. Wildfires have been raging across southern Europe since last week, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes in France. The European Commission has pre-positioned a record 777 firefighters from 14 countries in high-risk areas, including France, to combat the blazes. Prolonged heatwaves in May and June have left vast areas of western Europe parched and highly vulnerable to wildfires, with temperatures expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius in southwest France this week. A large fire in France's Pyrenees-Orientales scorched 4,900 hectares and affected the Tour de France, while an arrest was made in Spain for a fire suspected to be caused by an angle grinder. In fullFirefighter killed ​while battling wildfire in the French Alps amid deadly heatwaveMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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