KABUL: Strong winds have intensified major wildfires across France and Spain, with hundreds of firefighters battling to contain the blazes.
Thousands of residents have been evacuated from areas surrounding the French city of Bordeaux as the fires continue to spread toward the city.
Meanwhile, health authorities in Madrid, Spain, have issued an air quality alert due to heavy wildfire smoke, urging residents to remain indoors unless travel is necessary.
Officials say that strong winds and an ongoing heatwave are the primary factors driving the rapid spread of the fires.
Europe is experiencing an unprecedented period of extreme heat and drought this year, conditions that have fueled widespread wildfires in France and Spain and forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes.