European wildfires force nearly 400,000 to evacuate as new heatwave looms

Published Jul 27, 02:58 PM UTC

Massive wildfires in southwestern France and central Spain have forced nearly 400,000 people to evacuate. The French blazes have scorched an area four times the size of Paris and are spreading toward the wine region city of Bordeaux. Near Madrid, the biggest wildfire in Spain's recent history has burned around 200 square miles of countryside. Firefighters are racing to contain the fires as another European heatwave looms, with temperatures forecast to reach abnormally hot levels across the fire zones. A spokesperson for the National Firefighters Federation of France described the situation as a 'David-versus-Goliath scenario.' Spain's King Felipe VI said the fires have caused 'incalculable' damage to the country's cultural heritage. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that 'difficult hours lie ahead' ahead of a crisis meeting with his Cabinet.