France, Spain wildfires force 325,000 out as new heat looms
What's next: France held a crisis meeting as Spain raced to contain major blazes before a fourth heat wave worsens conditions.
Wildfires in France and Spain have driven more than 325,000 people from homes, campsites and holiday areas, with officials warning that hotter weather could intensify the crisis this week. In France's Gironde region near Bordeaux, the main fire stayed broadly stable overnight after burning 42,000 hectares, and no new evacuations were ordered. More than 220,000 people have left the area, where 45 campsites shut and child holiday camps were banned. In Spain, large fires near Madrid, Avila and Castellon were still active or only partly contained, with one blaze covering a 280-kilometer perimeter and another affecting about 75,000 people. Scientists say repeated heat waves and drought have primed forests for more extreme fires.