Thousands of people evacuated due to severe forest fires in Europe

Large forest fires in several European countries have covered thousands of hectares of land, according to Earth.uz.

In Spain, France, Portugal, and Greece, hundreds of firefighters, special equipment, and aviation forces have been deployed to combat the blazes, international media report.

According to reports, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, a fire that started on the evening of July 4 injured two people, including a firefighter and a local official. Nearly 5,000 residents have been evacuated from the area to safe locations.

About 700 specialists, 200 pieces of special equipment, and dozens of aircraft and helicopters have been involved in firefighting efforts. According to the French government, as of now, forest fire risk is considered high in 41 departments across the country.

In seven of them, the highest level of danger has been declared, and the situation is under strict control. In Greece, smoke from a fire at a waste recycling plant near Thessaloniki spread to the city center.

Authorities have urged residents to keep windows closed and stay indoors as much as possible. Due to the incident, three residential areas and several social institutions housing hundreds of people have been evacuated.

One person has been detained on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident. Additionally, a major forest fire has been recorded in the western part of Athens.

Over 200 firefighters, volunteers, and special aviation units have been deployed to extinguish it. In Girona province, Spain, a fire that has been ongoing for several days has turned more than 2,000 hectares of land into ash.

In the Vozela municipality of Portugal, forest fires have spread over more than 12,000 hectares. To combat them, over a thousand specialists and dozens of aircraft have been deployed.

Spain has sent additional forces and equipment to assist its neighboring country. According to local public media, while the main fire hotspots in Portugal are under control, some areas still have smoldering remnants.

Experts emphasize that these tragic events observed in several European countries are directly linked to the abnormal heat and climate changes recorded in June. Currently, urgent measures are being considered to strengthen fire safety in all regions and to protect nature.