Spain battles to contain one of its deadliest wildfires as at least 12 killed

With at least 12 people dead, this is already among the deadliest wildfires in Spanish history.

In 1984, 20 people died in a fire on the Canary Island of La Gomera, while in 1979, 21 people, including nine children, died in a forest fire near Lloret de Mar in north-eastern Spain.

Wildfires have also plagued France over the summer months.

On Monday over 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the foothills of the French Pyrenees.

But in a social media post on Saturday French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 32 people had been arrested on suspicion of starting some of the fires.

“These unacceptable behaviours, which lead to disastrous consequences and put our firefighters’ lives at risk, will now be brought before the courts,” he said.

Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world, and Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.

This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe’s water supply, and more intense wildfires.

Additional reporting by Dearbail Jordan