France and Spain grapple with massive forest fires, hundreds of thousands evacuated

Forest fires have raged across western France and central Spain, prompting the evacuation of more than 325,000 people. In France, around 250,000 residents were moved from the Gironde region near Bordeaux, while about 75,000 people were evacuated around the Spanish cities of Madrid and Valencia. The French blaze, described by officials as the largest since World War II, is closing in on Bordeaux, and a separate fire in Ávila is reported as Spain's most severe in recent history.

Scientists attribute the extreme intensity of this year's fires to a combination of record heat, prolonged drought, strong winds and abundant dry vegetation, all linked to climate change. Senior researcher Johannes Kaiser of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research explained that the dry conditions have created highly flammable material, while winds carry embers over long distances, accelerating the spread of the blazes.