Southern Europe burns as 2 firefighters die and France battles blaze 4 times the size of Paris

More than 2,500 firefighters are deployed across France to battle wildfires, with a massive blaze in the southwest Gironde region currently reported as stable following a second calm night. The fires in France have collectively burned an area four times the size of Paris.

Conditions are expected to worsen as France faces its fourth heatwave, with temperatures projected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in the areas affected by the fires. Meanwhile, in neighboring Spain, more than 1,000 firefighters are working to contain 16 active fires, which includes the Avila Fire, noted as the country's worst on record.