European wildfires burn area 1.8 times Paris, Tour de France stage goes spectator-free

Wildfires fueled by a heatwave have scorched vast areas of Europe, burning an area equivalent to nearly 1.8 times the size of Paris. As of July 5, a total of 19,000 hectares have burned across France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece since the start of the month. This destruction is roughly one-third the size of Seoul.

In France, fires raged in about 20 locations nationwide. The Pyrénées-Orientales department alone saw 2,000 hectares burn, forcing 10,500 residents from 26 villages to evacuate. One resident of Trevillach, Patrice, told AFP that the fire came within 300 meters of his home, describing the rapid spread as shocking and leaving him in a state of near panic.

The prestigious Tour de France cycling race has been affected, with a stage passing near the Pyrenees scheduled to take place without spectators on July 6. This decision was made because fires were spreading aggressively about 60 kilometers from the finish line. The regional prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales, Pierre-André Durain, stated that passage would be restricted to essential vehicles for the race's operation.

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The fire came within 300 meters of my home. It spread so quickly that I was shocked and almost in a state of panic.

On the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal has seen 12,000 hectares consumed by fires that began on July 2. Over 1,200 firefighters and 400 vehicles were deployed, and the fires were reportedly subsiding by July 5, according to AP. In Spain's northeastern Girona region, 2,200 hectares have burned since July 3. Eduard Martínez, head of the Catalan fire department, warned that the 40-kilometer fire front might be difficult to contain by July 5.

Greece also experienced new fires west of the capital, Athens, on July 5. Despite deploying 29 aircraft, including helicopters and propeller planes, the fires spread through dry pine forests, and firefighting efforts continued through the night. Forecasters predict continued heatwaves across France, Portugal, and Spain this week, with the heat potentially extending northward through the weekend.

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(Passage) is limited to vehicles essential for the passage of the riders and the operation of the race.