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Wildfires Burn Over 17,000 Hectares in France, Spain and Portugal
Hundreds of firefighters battled forest fires across three countries on Sunday as temperatures climbed toward 40 degrees Celsius. The blazes have already consumed more than 17,000 hectares of land.
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Hundreds of firefighters fought wildfires that burned more than 17,000 hectares across France, Spain and Portugal on Sunday. Temperatures in parts of the three countries were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius. A fire near Spain's northeastern Costa Brava coast burned more than 2,200 hectares in two days.
Firefighters said rising temperatures and multiple smoking hotspots would complicate containment efforts.
600 firefighters worked to contain a blaze that burned more than 1,000 hectares on a mountainside near Trevillach, about 36 kilometers east of Perpignan. Roads in the area were closed and local officials opened emergency shelters. Another 300 firefighters battled a separate fire in a mountainous district of the Drome department.
services in Portugal said they had brought 80 percent of a northern wildfire under control. The fire has burned about 13,000 hectares since it began on Thursday and injured nine people. Spain and Italy sent additional firefighters and water-dropping aircraft after Portugal requested assistance.
Authorities in several regions raised heat alerts on Sunday. Forecasters said the current heatwave could continue into next weekend.