France and Spain wildfires rage as climate change fuels extreme heat

Wildfires tearing through southwest France and central Spain are among the worst in decades, driven by climate change that has brought successive heatwaves and a lack of rain. In France, flames have consumed forests near Bordeaux. In Spain, fires have threatened areas around Madrid. The blazes have burned through parched grass and woodlands, releasing huge amounts of CO2 and leaving land blackened. Experts warn that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense. To discuss what happens next, FRANCE 24’s Eve Irvine spoke with Alexander Held, a senior expert at the World Fire and Climate Resilience Initiative at the European Forest Institute. The key question now: once these fires are extinguished, what can be done to prevent such destruction in the future?