Europe battles fast-moving wildfires sweeping across Spain, France and Italy

Wildfires raced across forests in France and Spain, sending residents fleeing and filling the sky with smoke as firefighters from across Europe joined efforts to contain the blazes.

 Spain has declared a national emergency in the Madrid region. In neighboring France, meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has invoked the EU's civil protection mechanism to ask for help.

 The latest fires come as Europe prepares for another heat wave, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) forecast in some areas.

So far in 2026, wildfires have burnt more land in Europe than the annual average over the past two decades.

Climate change is making extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and the forest fires that ensue, more frequent and more severe.