Wildfires Force Evacuations Across Southern Europe

Wildfires broke out across parts of southern Europe in early July, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. The fire service said the flames started in a ravine on the evening of 4 July and spread into nearby settlements.

Officials deployed more than 580 firefighters and used aircraft to drop retardant on the flames. The fire spread rapidly through a hard-to-reach area in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, fueled by wind, drought and heat.

Local residents joined crews to keep flames from reaching the village. Hundreds of people were evacuated during the country's second heat wave of the summer. Officials banned spectators from one stage of the Tour de France cycling race because of the fires.