Reference News Network, July 28 report - According to AFP, a mountain fire in southern France continued to spread on the evening of the 26th, approaching seaside resort areas, forcing the emergency evacuation of two campgrounds and parts of local residential areas.

Local officials said that the fire in the Aude department, near the Spanish border along the Mediterranean coast, which was driven by strong winds, started in the late afternoon of the 26th, and has burned 600 hectares of forest land.

According to Deputy Provincial Governor Remy Ricci, about 630 firefighters are fighting the fire with the support of more than a dozen aircraft.

AFP reporters on the scene reported that smoke caused congestion on the A9 coastal highway, but this traffic artery leading to Spain remained open. The fire has destroyed two houses, and the local government has converted a gymnasium into a temporary shelter. However, residents evacuated from about 10 homes were later allowed to return home.

To prevent risks, local authorities subsequently ordered the evacuation of people from two campgrounds and one residential area within the jurisdiction of Port-la-Nouvelle. Three firefighters have been treated for inhaling smoke.

The French national meteorological service had raised the wildfire risk alert in the Aude department to "high danger" orange level on the 26th. Less than a month before this disaster, the Aude department had experienced a serious fire that swept over 2,100 hectares of land near Narbonne, and the local government had deployed thousands of firefighters for rescue operations.

Another AFP report on July 26 stated that Greece is experiencing a heatwave with temperatures approaching 46°C, and multiple forest fires broke out on the 26th due to strong winds, especially near Athens.

Fire department spokesperson Vassilis Vasilakoyiannis pointed out that multiple fires from Crete to the Peloponnese (southwest) and the capital Athens area have worried the authorities, saying, "The most difficult part is yet to come."

He added in a brief press conference: "All (fire) departments across the country have entered full readiness, as have all civil defense departments."

According to the same source, in this Mediterranean country that often experiences intense heatwaves, the fire department recorded about 52 wildfires in the past 24 hours, 44 of which have been controlled.

Since the 21st, the entire country of Greece has been affected by the heatwave, with local temperatures reaching up to 45.8°C on the 25th. The 26th was the sixth consecutive day of extreme heat, with Athens reaching 40.8°C. According to weather forecasts, temperatures are expected to drop only by the 28th.

Greece is severely affected by climate change and has requested the EU to provide six fire-fighting aircraft through the "RescEU" mechanism to help fight the fires in Greece.

According to Greek radio and television organizations, authorities called for the evacuation of two villages located 30 kilometers north of the capital, where many houses were on fire. According to the police, at least 27 people were evacuated from these two villages. Five people were taken to the hospital, including a firefighter who was burned. In the evening, smog filled the sky over Athens, changing colors between gray and red.

According to the Athens News Agency, on the small island of Kythera in the Aegean Sea off the Peloponnese Peninsula, people stranded on the beach are being evacuated from the sea. Due to the rapid spread of flames in surrounding areas, an unknown number of people trapped on the beach could not leave by land. A maritime patrol boat and three private boats are carrying out the evacuation.

In the nearby island of Euboea in Attica, another fire also got out of control. Two firefighters were injured and hospitalized. (Translated by Wu Mei, Lin Xiaoxuan)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7531972632292377103/

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