Incredible photos show an impenetrable looking ceiling of thick smoke blocking sunlight in France as fires rage across the country and its Iberian neighbours in 40C heat
Wildfires burning across Europe turned deadly today as a woman died and several other people were injured by the massive blaze searing through France and Spain at astonishing speed.
Flames have blanketed the skies in recent days as the fires continue their reign of terror in Mediterranean and Iberian regions, having so far burned a path the size of Paris almost overnight. The woman died in the densely wooded Aude region, where the fire broke out in the village of Ribaute on Tuesday afternoon.
It remains “very active” according to local officials, who say unfavourable heatwave conditions are making it difficult for firefighters to tackle the explosive flames. It comes after a ‘traumatised’ family are stranded at Palma Airport after being told they can’t board a Jet2 flight.
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Around 1,800 firefighters have been deployed to the scene so far, 1,500 of whom worked through the night to hold the flames back. Dramatic photos from the scene in France, where the fire now spans 30,000 acres of land, show towering smoke so thick that the sun appears all but blocked as the flames continue to surge onwards.
They also show the massive scale of the response, with firefighters having deployed planes and helicopters to the scene in Spain, where one wildfire has impacted tourists in Cadiz. Tourists in the Brit holiday hotspot have been told to stay inside their homes unless informed otherwise, with major roads that would usually ferry tourists between picturesque beaches shut.
Temperatures in France, Spain and Portugal have soared to the high 30C to low 40C range, and are expected to remain so until next Sunday, with the risk of more fires increasing by the day.