Firefighters in southwest France and Spain are battling fresh blazes as a new heatwave approaches, according to The Irish Times. The region, already scarred by weeks of drought and fire, now faces temperatures that could reach 40°C, the BBC reports.
In France’s Gironde department, near Bordeaux, winds are fanning flames that have already consumed thousands of hectares of pine forest. Sky News describes the scenes as “apocalyptic,” with smoke plumes visible for miles. The Irish Independent notes that France recently recorded its first “fire-cloud,” or pyrocumulonimbus, a phenomenon where intense heat from a wildfire creates its own thunderstorm.
Spain is also on high alert, with multiple fires burning in the northwest and central regions. The Irish Times reports that both countries are bracing for a third heatwave in as many months, raising fears that the fire season could extend well into August.
The European Union has activated its civil protection mechanism, sending water-bombing aircraft and ground crews to the worst-affected areas. RTE.ie says Bordeaux residents are being urged to stay indoors as air quality deteriorates.
What to watch next: Whether the incoming heatwave will cause existing fires to merge into larger, uncontrollable blazes, and whether EU reinforcements can prevent further destruction.
