Star Metro - Deadly wildfires in Europe force thousands to flee

Three firefighters have been killed as southern Europe endures another spell of severe heat, with temperatures topping 40C in some areas.

The total area of land burnt this year in European Union countries is the second largest on record, according to satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

Tourists and locals have told of desperate escapes from flames.

"The gendarmes came and knocked on every door, the fire was about 500 metres away -- we grabbed some things and left," said Patrick Martineau, a 69-year-old resident of Le Porge, south of the French city of Bordeaux.

In Sicily, around 6,000 firefighters, forest guards and civil protection officers battled dozens of fires raging for days across the Italian island. One firefighter died after falling ill while battling the flames, the interior minister said.

A spokesperson for Italy's Civil Protection Agency told AFP the that the fires were "being fuelled by very high temperatures and very dry soil".

More than 160 fires have also been recorded in Calabria region, with the local civil protection chief saying arsonists had tied rags soaked in flammable liquid to the tails of stray cats to spread the flames.

Around Bordeaux, more than 20,000 people -- mostly tourists in campsites and holiday lets -- have been evacuated since Wednesday, as a fire ravaged a seaside pine forest.

"We're dealing with a very dense stand of closely packed pines," firefighter captain Wilfried Schneider told AFP, describing a fire of "rare" intensity.

No casualties have been reported -- and authorities said the inferno had been contained on one flank -- but two firefighters died on Tuesday tackling another blaze near Bordeaux airport.

- 'No chance' -

"We were on the beach and they told us to go back to the campsite to collect our things," said Belgian tourist Elke Urbain, 50. "We're not afraid because everyone is taking care of us, but we're sad for the people here."

Le Porge mayor Martial Zaninetti said the fire appeared to have been sparked by a brush-clearing machine, though police were investigating the cause.

Skies over Le Porge turned orange as smoke rose from charred and crackling pine trees, while helicopters made repeated runs over evacuated neighbourhoods.

Fires in 2022 damaged 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) of the same forest, forcing some 50,000 people to be evacuated.

Fires are breaking out faster because of climate change caused by the burning of oil, coal and gas. European droughts are now more severe, climatologists from the World Weather Attribution group said in a study published on Thursday.

Across the border in Spain, progress against a major wildfire south of Madrid allowed most residents to return Thursday, emergency services said.

The blaze, which broke out near the city of Toledo, prompted authorities to evacuate several districts as flames advanced towards homes.

Firefighters battled through the night and several roads remained closed Thursday.

Hundreds of firefighters were still battling a much larger wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid, which has burnt about 32,000 hectares since it started last Thursday.

"Climate change is what kills, what destroys our villages and our natural and cultural heritage," civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told Spanish radio, warning some fires become so intense that, despite the deployment of aircraft and ground crews, firefighters stand "no chance".

Madrid emergency services also warned of an "extreme" wildfire risk as Spain endured the final day of a heatwave. Spain's weather agency AEMET said temperatures were expected to ease this weekend before likely rising again.

burs-jxb/tw

F.T. Michaud--SMC