European countries battle multiple wildfires as record heat grips the continent

Firefighters across Europe battled multiple wildfires on Friday as record-breaking heat gripped the continent, exacerbated by climate change. France, in particular, experienced its driest year ever, with a wildfire in the southwest forcing over 500 residents to evacuate in Luglon town. Other fires torched forests in cooler northern regions and Brittany.

France also shut down six nuclear reactors due to extreme heat and drought, although utility company EDF claimed the impact on electricity production was minimal. The UK saw its hottest day of the year in Stourbridge, where a massive fire destroyed about 20 to 30 homes. In Stourbridge, a woman was evacuated, describing police urging her to leave quickly as they were unsure of the fire's direction.

Nineteen people and six firefighters were hospitalized in the West Midlands region for smoke inhalation and injuries from various wildfires. In Germany, a wildfire in the Hurtgen forest forced the evacuation of all 1,800 residents of the village of Gey, with unexploded WWII ordnance posing a challenge for firefighters. Croatia reported one death and 14 hospitalizations from a wildfire that forced over 1,000 people to evacuate a coastal town.

Albania's largest wildfire, burning in the Gure-Lure area, was nearing residential homes and three individuals were prosecuted for failing to take protective measures.