France wildfires: Firefighters from across Europe unite to battle blazes

Firefighters from across Europe came to France’s rescue on Friday to battle a massive wildfire, as successive heatwaves renewed the region’s focus on climate change risks. Local officials said high temperatures and a worsening drought brought on a high risk of new fires breaking out in Gironde of southwestern France, even after an overnight reprieve held in check a wildfire that has been burning for days, scorching thousands of hectares and displacing 10,000 people. Firefighters from Germany, Romania, Greece and beyond were on the ground to help France battle the fire in the region — home to Bordeaux wine — as well as on other fronts, including Brittany in the northwest. But while an expected end of France’s third heatwave on Sunday could bring some relief, the fire has already left much destruction in its wake, including over 7,400 hectares of forest burnt to the ground — equivalent to the size of a major French city such as Nice. For more info, please go to https:/