AP —
Firefighters across France and central England battled multiple blazes on Friday as a new wave of record heat burned across Europe, but an unusually dry landscape further complicated their task.
A new fire raged through forested areas overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast, as France experiences its driest year on record. The local government said Friday that the blaze had mobilized hundreds of firefighters and forced more than 500 people to evacuate their homes in the town of Le Gron.
It is one of several fires scorching forests across France this week, including in the normally cool and humid north and Brittany regions. Last month, a historic fire burned through forests near Bordeaux, forcing 250,000 people from their homes.
Meanwhile, efforts to suppress wildfires in Germany have been complicated by unexploded World War II ordnance, and in Croatia, more than 1,000 people were forced to evacuate as changing winds spread flames deep into coastal suburbs.
After Britain recorded its hottest day of the year on Thursday, bushfires burned across the West Midlands, destroying several homes. Fire chief Simon Tuhill said these were among the “most serious” incidents the area’s fire service had ever dealt with.
Around 1,017 bushfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data from the National Fire Chiefs’ Council.
The fire broke out on the hottest day of the year, with temperatures reaching 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in west London.
Temperatures approached 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) in several parts of France on Thursday, from the Aquitaine region in the southwest to the Rhône basin in the east, the National Weather Service said. It was expected to reach a similar level on Friday and then decline over the weekend.
The historic temperatures are linked to anthropogenic climate change and are hitting countries that were designed for long cold seasons and are unequipped for this kind of heat and have limited air conditioning.
All 1,800 residents of the German village of Gei in North Rhine-Westphalia were evacuated after a wildfire in the nearby Hürtgen Forest threatened to spread to their homes. The fire engulfed about 300 hectares (1.16 square miles) of forest on Friday morning, local authorities said.
German news agency dpa reported that unexploded bombs from World War II were found in the forest, hampering efforts to extinguish the fire. Firefighters could hear the sound of ammunition exploding during the fire, forcing firefighters to move closer to the area for safety.
The fire advanced to within 300 meters (1,000 feet) of Gay on the edge of a forest near the Belgian border. Winds shifted overnight, raising the risk of flames reaching Gay by morning, prompting authorities to order an early evacuation.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and authorities have not ruled out further evacuations in the area.
Hundreds of people have been deployed to fight the fire, and the German military has sent tanks and firefighting helicopters to provide air support.
In Croatia, more than 1,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes after an overnight fire in the coastal town of Omiš left 14 people in hospital, seven of whom remained in a life-threatening condition, early Friday morning.
The fire broke out late Thursday on the outskirts of Omiš and quickly spread due to strong winds. Public broadcaster HRT said the fire started near the town center, leaving parts of Omis without power and burning many cars.
Croatian media published photos from a crowded sports hall in Omiš with people crammed into beds and on the floor. Witnesses told HRT that a boat also caught fire and people jumped into the sea.
Firefighters had the fire extinguished by Friday morning as the rest of the plane’s crew headed further south to the Peljesac Peninsula, where another wildfire broke out overnight.
Albania has been battling dozens of wildfires in recent weeks, with 11 active fires reported across the country on Friday.
The largest fire occurred in the Gres Relais area, and the area around the residence has been contained and there is no longer any risk of the fire spreading to the residence.
Three people have been charged over the fire that destroyed Leura National Park. According to authorities, they are suspected of failing to take the necessary measures to protect and protect the territory for which they are responsible from the fire.
Meanwhile, more than 300 holidaymakers and residents were evacuated from the sea in northern Greece on Thursday after wildfires tore through pine forests and threatened seaside homes, authorities said.
