Emergency teams continue to work against the clock to contain the fierce forest fires affecting France and Spain, while authorities warn that the flames could remain active for several months before being completely extinguished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, stated that his country is facing the most serious situation since the Second World War. Early this Tuesday, military engineers worked alongside firefighters to combat the fires in the Gironde region, one of the most affected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, warm and dry weather is expected to continue this week in the devastated areas near Bordeaux and Madrid, a condition that threatens to further intensify the fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, the latest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fire in the French department of Gironde remained stable overnight and, for the moment, is under control, according to authorities. Emergency teams are working intensely to create tactical firebreaks to prevent the spread of the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recommend reading: Seven municipalities near Bordeaux evacuated due to the advance of a large forest fire<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The French meteorological service issued heatwave alerts for the Gironde and Landes regions, which have been severely affected, and forecast hot, dry, and rainless conditions.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>More than 160 people have been arrested or questioned for intentionally starting fires, Prime Minister S\u00e9bastien Lecornu stated. The fires in France are mainly due to “carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, or work carried out without proper precautions,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A volunteer firefighter died on Monday in the French region of Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne after the tanker truck he was driving went off the road, authorities told BFMTV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Air pollution in Bordeaux, in southwestern France, soared to six times the safety levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO), as residents face smoke caused by forest fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wildfires have forced the evacuation of at least 63,152 people in the central Spanish regions of Madrid, Toledo, and \u00c1vila, the Interior Ministry reported on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The President of the Spanish Government stated that the fires are \u201cthe most painful expression of the climate emergency\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In eastern Spain, firefighters in the province of Castell\u00f3n face additional risks due to unexploded ordnance from the Spanish Civil War that remains scattered across the mountainous landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong forest fire is spreading through the Spanish province of Castell\u00f3n. Bombers Dipcas\/X<\/p>\n\n\n\n France and Spain are preparing for a drastic rise in temperatures this week, as the continent faces its fourth heatwave of the summer and there is no forecast of rain to alleviate the extreme dryness fueling forest fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIntense heat waves are hitting much of the country, reaching their peak intensity on Wednesday,\u201d the French meteorological service M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France reported on Monday. Temperatures in Bordeaux, near France’s largest fire, are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Spain, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) warned that \u201cthe heat wave will be prolonged,\u201d at least until Sunday, and noted that the risk of fires will increase to \u201cextreme levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The heat could further worsen the dangerous conditions faced by emergency crews. France and Spain are facing \u201cvery extreme\u201d fire risk conditions at least until Wednesday, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Western Europe has suffered since May from intense heat waves driven by climate change, under a succession of heat domes. These phenomena act as a lid that traps hot air and dries out the ground, creating favorable conditions for the fires that continue to affect both countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n French authorities warned tourists this weekend not to travel to the southwest of the country, which is affected by forest fires, although they tried to reassure visitors by pointing out that other regions remain intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophie Brocas, prefect of the French region of Gironde, one of the most affected, stated on Sunday: \u201cI urge tourists not to come,\u201d while advising those already there to consider an alternative destination, as reported by BFMTV, a CNN affiliate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For her part, \u00c9l\u00e9onore Caroit, French Minister of International Relations, asked tourists not to cancel their vacation plans and highlighted that most of the country remains unaffected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Spain, the regional government of Madrid warned against travel to the affected areas, including reservoirs \u201cnear the affected spaces.\u201d However, a general travel ban has not been issued.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nSpain: more than 63,000 evacuated and new risks for firefighters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The region prepares for a drastic increase in temperatures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What you should know if you travel to France and Spain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n