‘Unstoppable’ wildfires force 220,000 residents to flee their homes

A firefighter stands near flames during a wildfire in Lege-Cap-Ferret (Picture: Reuters)

Satellite imagery shows burned areas and smoke rising from a wildfire near Le Porge,in Nouvelle-Aquitaine,France (Picture: Reuters)

Video grab showing a huge column of smoke from wildfires southwest of Madrid (Picture: AFP via Getty)

The former firefighter told Reuters: ‘We didn’t see a single truck all night,except for one,but it arrived very late.

‘I really had to push hard to get it. With those four firemen,plus my son and me,we managed to save four houses.’

Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed,and additional ground and aerial reinforcements were sent on Friday to tackle the flames. Meanwhile,another major wildfire burned further south down the coast. It remained uncontained as strong winds did not help firefighters.

Authorities believe the cause of both fires was accidental.

Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent,with temperatures increasing twice as quickly as the global average since the 1980s,according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness,making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.

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