Paris: Firefighters battled wildfires raging out of control in France and Spain on Sunday as Europe wilted under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities in Madrid blamed for hundreds of deaths.
Two huge blazes that have consumed pine forests for six days in southwestern France have forced the evacuation of some 14,000 people, and led authorities shut down access to Europe's tallest sand dune, the much-visited Dune du Pilat.
Water-dropping planes zig-zagged the area, as flames lapped at the edge of a farm field, and smoke blanketed the skyline above a mass of singed trees, in images shared by firefighters.
In Spain, firefighters supported by military brigades tried to stamp out over 30 fires consuming forests spread across the country. Spain's National Defence Department said that the majority of its fire-fighting aircraft have been deployed to reach the blazes, many of which are in rugged, hilly terrain that is difficult for ground crews to access. Drought conditions in the Iberian Peninsula have made it particularly susceptible to wildfires some caused by lightning, others by accident, and even some intentionally set after a mass of hot air blew up from Africa. Fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after a dry, hot spring that the EU has attributed to climate change.
About half of France was under a heat wave warning Sunday, with scorching temperatures expected to climb higher on Monday. The government has stepped up efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heat wave.