Spain and France wildfires force more than 300,000 to flee as Macron calls crisis meeting
📰 source: cnbc_topnews · 💼 business
over 300,000 people forced to flee wildfires in southern france and spain. french president emmanuel macron called a crisis cabinet meeting for monday, while spain's prime minister pedro sanchez plans to visit affected areas in valencia.
the fire started on july 12 in gironde, southwestern france, burning 42,000 hectares there and affecting 77,000 hectares in spain's avila and toledo areas. it's been labeled a rare pyrocumulonimbus, generating its own winds. france has deployed 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military, and 1,200 police. interior minister laurent nunez said the situation remains highly unfavorable.
france's prime minister sebastien lecornu called it a historic situation, with nearly 100,000 hectares burned since the start of the year. finance minister roland lescure said it's a blow to the local economy. expert stefan doerr from swansea university said climate change and poor landscape management are increasing fire intensity, and europe's third consecutive heatwave has dried the landscape.
why it matters: massive evacuations and historic fire damage raise concerns over climate impact and emergency preparedness in europe.
source: cnbc_topnews
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