The Kabul Tribune (KT) — More than 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes as a fast-moving wildfire burns out of control in southern France near the Spanish border, Reuters reported.
According to the report, the wildfire has spread across about 4,600 hectares (11,367 acres) in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, injuring 16 people, including four firefighters. Officials warned that strong winds are expected to fuel the blaze further.
The European Union said it is deploying four firefighting aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden, along with more than 100 firefighters, to assist emergency crews battling the fire near the village of Trevillach, close to the city of Perpignan.
"Europe stands with France," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
Reuters reported that the wildfire prompted authorities to close public access to part of the third stage of the Tour de France to allow firefighters easier access to the affected area. Organizers also reduced the number of support vehicles accompanying the race.
Authorities said prolonged heatwaves across France and much of western Europe during May and June have left vegetation unusually dry, increasing the risk of severe wildfires. Temperatures in southwestern France are expected to approach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) again this week, while Portugal and Spain continue to experience another intense heatwave.
On the Spanish side of the border, another wildfire has burned about 2,200 hectares, most of it within the protected Les Gavarres natural area in Catalonia. Regional officials said the fire has been stabilized and is expected to be fully extinguished later this week.
Reuters also reported that Spanish police have arrested an employee of a government contractor on suspicion of accidentally starting the Catalonia wildfire while using an angle grinder beside a road.
Meanwhile, about 500 people were evacuated after another wildfire spread into the Sierra de Espadan Natural Park in Spain's Castellon province. In neighboring Portugal, hundreds of wildfires have broken out in recent days, with the largest consuming more than 10,000 hectares of land.
Scientists say climate change is contributing to longer, hotter and drier summers across Europe, increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that Europe is warming at more than twice the global average, making prolonged heatwaves and extreme fire conditions increasingly likely.
