In Italy, about 12,000 firefighters have been evacuated due to the fire

About 12,000 people have been evacuated from southwest France after two firefighters died near Bordeaux airport.

The Gironde regional government announced that more than 2,000 hectares (4,000 acres) of land had been destroyed.

The use of internal combustion and electric motors is prohibited in mainly forested areas and many roads are closed. No injuries were reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile in Italy, Sicilian President Renato Schifani wished a “speedy recovery” for another man involved in the same operation as officials paid tribute to a firefighter who died battling wildfires in San Cataldo.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has paid tribute to fallen firefighter Alessandro Marchi, saying he was “in service to society”.

“He will not be forgotten,” he said in a post on X.

In an update on Wednesday, the head of Sicily’s civil protection, Salvo Cocina, said there were more than 350 fires on the island, including ten major ones that prompted precautionary evacuations.

The fire had human causes – firefighting has become a social and public order problem, he said.

On the other hand, a news agency reported that there are 10,000 tourists in France.

France is paying tribute to two firefighters who died earlier in the week. Interior Minister Loren Nunez released photos from the incident on Wednesday – the day after his death was announced.

He said the moment was filled with great emotion as he expressed his “unreserved gratitude” and “unwavering support” to his family.

The Gironde region remains on red alert, with some resorts closed Thursday afternoon and evening due to forested areas.

The area is one of several French departments ravaged by wildfires in a series of unusual and prolonged heat waves that have swept across Europe this summer.

Madrid was also affected by the fire, but overnight most of the displaced residents were told they could return to their homes – except for one place in the Villa del Prado.

A nearby fire is still burning, with about 90 crews and a helicopter deployed to control the blaze.

They shared a video on social media showing emergency workers “directly attacking” the fire and emergency workers dousing the fire with hoses.

Local authorities continued to warn of an “extremely high fire risk” on Thursday morning.

Spain’s weather service said it was forecasting temperatures of up to 36C on Thursday afternoon.

Countries across Europe have seen record temperatures in recent months.

A report released in April by the Copernicus Climate Change Service predicted at least 95 percent of Europe would see “above average” annual temperatures by 2025, identifying Europe as the fastest-warming continent.

Both the area burned by wildfires and the number of wildfires were at record levels last year, the report said.