<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/23/people-evacuated-intense-wildfire-saumos-france>
"Brutal heat torching southern Europe has forced about 30,000 people to flee
wildfires in France and Spain as a marine heatwave scalds the Mediterranean and
researchers warn that “Dantesque” scenarios cannot be ruled out as infernos
worsen.
France has requested assistance from the European Union to help it deal with
a major wildfire near the country’s Atlantic coast, while Spain has declared
a national emergency in the Madrid region and in the province of Avila, because
of several wildfires burning out of control.
President Emmanuel Macron on Friday wrote on X that the situation remained
“extremely tense” with the fires particularly bad in Gironde in southwestern
France.
“France has requested the activation of the European Union’s civil protection
mechanism. We will soon be able to count on reinforcements from two Croatian
Canadair aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, as well as two heavy
Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” he said.
The fire on France’s Atlantic coast prompted the evacuation of more than 18,800
people, including thousands of tourists from campsites and holiday homes, as
firefighters struggled to control the blaze.
Spain late Thursday declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and in
the province of Avila, near the capital, in the wake of several wildfires
burning out of control.
Around the Madrid region, the fires have forced the evacuation of 10,000
people, placing the response to the crisis in the hands of a military emergency
unit.
“The government has deployed every available resource to stop the terrible
fires currently affecting numerous areas: Avila, Leon, Toledo, Madrid and other
parts of Spain,” prime minister Pedro Sánchez said earlier on X, urging the
public to exercise “great caution” and heed instructions from authorities.
Almost 125,000 hectares have already burnt in Spain this year compared with
393,000 for the whole of last year, according to the European Forest Fire
Information System."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
