politics
Wildfires Burn Nearly 20,000 Hectares Across Southern Europe
Fires in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece have forced thousands to evacuate and prompted a spectator ban on one stage of the Tour de France. Officials report strong winds and rising temperatures forecast for the coming week.
The GuardianAudio version
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Wildfires have burned nearly 20,000 hectares in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. Officials banned spectators from one stage of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees region on Monday. In France, 700 firefighters are fighting a blaze near the Spanish border that has scorched 5,000 hectares and prompted evacuation of more than 10,000 people.
The fire has nearly tripled in size since Sunday.
The French interior minister stated on Monday that twice as much land had burned in France this season compared with the same period last year. Officials said the EU is sending four waterbombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to assist crews near Perpignan.
The Pyrenees fire came within 300 metres of homes in the village of Trévillach. Firefighters reported the blaze stable late Sunday and said they hoped to contain it during the week. In central Portugal, more than 1,200 firefighters supported by 15 aircraft are battling a fire that has burned 13,000 hectares since Thursday.
Emergency services said 80 percent of the blaze was under control on Monday. Additional fires have burned forest and scrub on Croatia's island of Hvar and in Albania. In Greece, a wildfire near Thessaloniki prompted evacuation alerts for three suburbs and warnings about toxic smoke from a recycling plant.
