By the weekend, the wildfire crisis in France had grown serious enough that officials altered the Tour de France's final stage and reassigned some race security officers to the firefighting effort.
At the same time, an A400M military aircraft dropped fire retardant on dry woodland in southwestern France as tens of thousands of people near Bordeaux evacuated.
What happened?
Sunday's concluding Tour stage was reduced to 89 kilometers (55.3 miles) from 133 (82.6), and instead of starting west of Paris, the riders stayed within the capital, Scripps News reported.
Organizers said in a joint statement that part of the race's security staff would be sent to "reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires."
Across Southern Europe, fires displaced more than 250,000 people this week, among them about 70,000 in central Spain, with France's Gironde region near Bordeaux also affected. French officials said the fire west of Bordeaux had destroyed about 140 homes.
As winds shifted and raised the prospect that the blaze would near Bordeaux, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the battle would be "long and very difficult," Scripps noted. Officials in the region said the fire had turned into "a firestorm" and, despite gains by crews, that it "remains dangerous."
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The Gironde fire drew 1,400 firefighters along with at least 18 aircraft and helicopters. Soldiers were also mobilized, and officials moved 1.5 million face masks into the area to shield residents from the thick smoke.
Why does it matter?
Because authorities feared the fire might advance toward Bordeaux, a hub of France's wine industry, people in the city's western outskirts and in nearby towns and villages were sent evacuation alerts on their phones.
In France and Spain alike, officials said the wildfires spread with a scale and speed that authorities had not anticipated.
What's being done?
France's response included military help as well as crews on the ground and in the air. The modified A400M joined a rotation of aircraft releasing water and retardant above the fire, while firefighters dug trenches and tried other tactics to check the flames, Scripps reported.
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Bordeaux authorities set up shelters for evacuees and said the city could accommodate up to 10,000 people. Emergency aid included food, temporary lodging, and protective masks.
Spain, meanwhile, had 2,600 firefighters, police officers, and other emergency personnel fighting blazes with support from 19 aircraft and helicopters. Elsewhere in Europe, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, and Switzerland were helping or preparing firefighting aircraft.
"We've never seen anything like this," resident Javier Organista said. "When we saw the flames coming into our town, surrounding us, leaving us with practically no way out, all the neighbors joined together to try to stop its advance.
"It's just really sad."
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