Wildfires swept across different parts of southern Europe on Wednesday, killing three firefighters and forcing thousands to flee as scorching temperatures and strong winds fueled the blazes.
The wildfires spread mainly in the Madrid area of Spain, in the Calabria and Sicily regions of Italy, and in the Provence and Bordeaux regions of France.
In Spain, authorities ordered the evacuation of several districts on Wednesday around the city of Toledo, south of Madrid, after a major wildfire threatened homes.
Emergency alerts were sent by telephone to residents of the districts because of the fire and several arterial roads were cut off, the Civil Guard said.
Toledo is 75 kilometers from the capital.
The new blaze spread as hundreds of firefighters battled a major wildfire that has devastated 32,000 hectares about 100 kilometers north of Madrid.
Since Tuesday, Spain is battling multiple devastating wildfires as scorching temperatures and strong winds fuel rapidly.
Last week, a major wildfire that has been raging in Guadalajara, northeast Spain, reduced more than 15,000 hectares of land to ash, regional authorities said, warning of a “very high risk of spreading.”
Few days earlier, Spain was reeling from another fire in the southern Andalusia region that killed 13 people -- including seven Britons and an American -- and destroyed 7,000 hectares, the deadliest such disaster in the country's recent history.
Meanwhile in south Italy, wildfires continued to burn across the island of Sicily, driven by strong winds that spread flames towards residential areas.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said a firefighter died after falling ill while battling the flames.
Also, more than 160 fires have also been recorded in neighboring Calabria.
In France, a wildfire tore through forest areas in southwestern France's Gironde department as firefighters battled intense flames.
One blaze ravaged more than 1,400 hectares in the picturesque Arcachon Basin region near Bordeaux.
Another fire erupted on Tuesday in the Var region and spread at an unexpectedly fast pace, forcing around 400 people to evacuate and devouring 2,500 hectares.
French authorities have recorded 12,500 wildfire outbreaks since the beginning of the year, with nearly 44,000 hectares burned nationwide, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Wednesday, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.
