Overview

• The wildfire in Mentrida near Madrid was contained Friday after burning about 3,100 hectares and enveloping the capital in smoke and ash.
• A blaze north of Marseille has scorched roughly 240 hectares, been halted from further spread into suburbs, and displaced about 150 people to emergency shelters.
• Emergency shelters, road closures and forest-access bans remain in force as firefighters contend with lingering drought and shifting winds.
• Early summer heat waves have dried landscapes across Spain and France, priming multiple wildfires and contributing to a season that has already burned over 25,000 hectares in Spain.
• Scientists warn that human-driven climate change is causing earlier, more intense heat waves and droughts, increasing wildfire risk and severity in the region.