New wildfire forces evacuation of 500 people in France

A wildfire in a picturesque Croatian resort killed one person, injured 40, and forced 1,200 residents to evacuate overnight, according to officials. The blaze engulfed homes and ignited cars on the road, creating chaos for residents and tourists. The fire, visible in the red sky, seemed to have calmed by morning, with one charred body found among 40 people hospitalized, seven in serious condition.

Extreme wildfire conditions have spread across Europe, with additional pockets of risk in southern Britain, Ireland, northern France, and southern Sweden, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Record-breaking heat and drought created ideal wildfire conditions, especially in France, Spain, and Greece, where hundreds more evacuated from a beach resort and a village.

In England, a major grass fire engulfed houses, while in France, 525 people were evacuated from a village in the southwestern Landes region. Spain's Environment Minister reported that a wildfire in Huelva burned 31,000 hectares, forcing the evacuation of 700 people. Wildfires have hit a record level for a second consecutive year in Britain and Wales, fueled by five heatwaves this summer.