Wildfires rage in Spain and Portugal, as France heatwave deaths rise

Hundreds of firefighters battled a fast-spreading wildfire near Spain's Costa Brava on Friday, while neighboring Portugal sought international assistance to tackle blazes raging in its north.

The fire broke out near La Bisbal d'Emporda, about 20 kilometers from the Costa Brava coastline, a popular summer tourist destination. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze prompted Catalan authorities to order residents in 10 municipalities, including the beach resort of Platja d'Aro, to stay at home. Around 150 people, including about 70 children at a holiday camp, were evacuated.

Footage released by the Catalan fire service showed helicopters dropping water over flames amid thick grey and orange smoke across forested hills. Bathers nearby watched water bombers fly overhead as smoke covering the horizon.

More than 200 firefighters were deployed, including aerial resources, as the fire had burned 1,280 hectares.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the public to "take the utmost caution" as high temperatures persist in the coming days.

Catalan police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of starting the fire "while he was using an angle grinder by the roadside."

Spain is on the front line of climate change, which scientists say increases the intensity, frequency and duration of the extreme heat that fuels wildfires. Last year, wildfires burned nearly 400,000 hectares, the country's highest annual total on record, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Portugal seeks help

In neighboring Portugal, authorities decided on Friday to activate the European civil protection mechanism as well as bilateral agreements with Spain and Morocco for reinforcements.

The move was made "not because our capacities are already exhausted but because in the current situation, our entire territory is exposed to a very high risk," Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said.

A forest fire burning since Wednesday night in the northern municipality of Vouzela has injured at least nine people, including two seriously. Civil Protection said three firefighters suffered minor injuries, while one civilian sustained severe burns.

The blaze has scorched an estimated 10,000 hectares. About 1,000 firefighters, supported by some 300 vehicles and eight aircraft, were deployed on Friday to fight the flames, while four other smaller fires were also being fought by at least 100 firefighters each.

With temperatures forecast to reach 44 degrees Celsius in some areas, Portugal's weather agency has placed 12 of the country's 18 mainland districts under red alert through the weekend.

Portugal, which is hit by major forest fires almost every summer, remains scarred by the 2017 blazes that killed more than 100 people.

Deaths rise by 30% in France

France recorded its hottest June since records began in 1947, with a heatwave that saw temperatures spike above 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, the weather service Meteo-France said Friday.

Its average temperatures reached 22.7 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 seasonal norms.

"Unprecedented temperatures, both day and night, affected more than a third of the country" during the heatwave from June 17 to 30, said the Meteo-France, adding that temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius were exceeded at least once over more than 40% of the country.

June 24 and 25 were the hottest days ever recorded in France.

The extreme heat disrupted daily life, forcing schools to close and festivals and train services to be cancelled.

Health authorities said deaths rose by at least 29.1% during the week beginning June 22, amounting to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the previous week. In the Paris region, deaths increased by about 62%.

Public Health France noted "a clear rise" in deaths among people aged 45 to 64, while those aged 65 and over accounted for the largest share.

Deaths at home nearly doubled within a week, and young people were also among the victims, it added.

Scientists said human-caused climate change was "unequivocally" responsible for the intensity of the late-June heatwave across Europe.

The government faces criticism arguing that France remains poorly prepared for rising temperatures. Many homes lack adequate insulation or cooling, leaving residents to improvise with survival blankets or chalk-based paint to reduce indoor heat.

Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium reported 1,222 excess deaths between June 18 and 29, a 39% increase over normal levels.

(With input from AFP)