Paris/Madrid, July 26 (V7N)- More than 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as devastating wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain, with strong winds and extreme heat making firefighting efforts increasingly difficult.
According to a BBC report on Sunday (July 26), authorities in both countries are struggling to contain the fires as weather conditions continue to worsen.
In Spain, a state of emergency has been declared due to the rapidly spreading wildfires. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the country is facing "complicated times" as emergency teams battle the situation.
Authorities in Valencia confirmed the death of one person in the wildfire. Local media reported that firefighters discovered a man in his 70s dead inside a vehicle while responding to a fire in the Salt de l'Aigua canyon area of Manises.
Meanwhile, in southwestern France, another 55,000 people were ordered to evacuate from the Gironde and Landes regions late Saturday. The latest evacuations have increased the total number of displaced people in France to around 250,000.
French fire service captain Nicolas Braz said the wildfire had become extremely difficult to control, creating its own weather conditions, including strong winds and rotating air currents.
"The fire has created its own winds and remains unstable and uncontrolled," he said, warning that conditions could become even more challenging.
France has deployed military personnel to assist firefighting operations. Additional troops have been sent to support firefighters by clearing vegetation and helping establish firebreaks to slow the spread of flames.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the country would rebuild after the disaster and assured affected communities that the government would continue supporting them for as long as necessary.
Officials in both countries have linked the increasing severity of wildfires to rising temperatures and changing climate conditions, which have intensified extreme weather events across Europe.
END/SMA/AJ
