Nearly 500 people have been arrested in France on suspicion of deliberately or accidentally causing forest fires since the beginning of summer. The Guardian reports, according to UNN.
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According to the French Interior Ministry, law enforcement officers have arrested 474 people since July 1, including 183 minors. About 70% of those arrested are suspected of deliberately starting fires, while the rest are suspected of accidentally causing fires.
Fires have also affected Croatia, Germany, Greece, and Spain. In Croatia, one person died as a result of a fire, another 40 were injured, and about 1,200 people were evacuated.
In Germany, more than 2,000 people left their homes because of a fire near the village of Gey. Unexploded World War II-era ammunition is complicating firefighting efforts.
In Spain, fires have affected more than 31,000 hectares in Huelva province, and about 700 people were evacuated. In the northeast of the country, the military also removed the remains of three 11th-century Aragonese kings from a monastery threatened by the flames.
Forest fire in Croatia claimed one life and injured around 40 people15.08.26, 09:39
In Greece, about 500 tourists were evacuated from beaches in Halkidiki. Meanwhile, in Belgium, residents of Liège Province were urged to leave their homes because of the largest forest fire in the country's history.
According to the European Copernicus service, "very extreme" conditions for forest fires have affected a large part of Central and Eastern Europe. Record heat, drought, and strong winds are cited as the causes of the large-scale fires.