Wildfires broke out on Wednesday in Sicily, southwest France and central Spain, after claiming the lives of three firefighters and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people.
Temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds fueled the blaze on the southern Italian island, where wildfires have been burning for days.
About 6,000 firefighters, forest guards and civil defense officers were sent to fight the fire with the help of water-bombing planes, the regional chief, Renato Schifani, said, adding that 50 fires were still burning.
Scientists agree that climate change caused by humans burning fossil fuels is making extreme weather events such as fires and heat waves more likely and more severe.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the firefighter died after falling ill while fighting the fire.
A spokesman for Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said the situation in Sicily was “serious” and that the fire was “being fueled by very high temperatures and very dry soil”.
