A huge blaze in a forest just south of Paris is being battled by French firefighters as a devastating heatwave extends its deadly sweep across Europe. More than 3 square miles of the Fontainebleau forest have been burned, and fire-fighting aircraft have been scooping up water from the River Seine as part of efforts to get the fire under control.

Investigation Underway

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told reporters that police are investigating whether the fire was started deliberately. Wildfires had also broken out in other parts of the country, Nuñez said in a post on Sunday.

Wildfires are not unusual in Europe, but the climate crisis is driving hotter, drier weather, which is setting the stage for fiercer fire seasons. They are also happening earlier in the year and are of growing intensity.

Heatwave Consequences

In much of France and Spain, an exceptionally wet winter left a lot of vegetation that quickly turned to tinder as three successive heatwaves sent temperatures into the high-30s Celsius. That has led to a spike in the number of larger fires, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

Extreme heat is also driving excess deaths. In France, more than 2,000 deaths during the last week of June were attributed to the heat. France saw its hottest day ever on June 24.

Deaths rose 29% in the last week of June compared to the week before, according to French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, who noted a “clear increase” in deaths among those aged over 45.

The heat has also led to a spike in the number of drownings. In Germany, at least 99 people drowned in June, the highest monthly death toll since 2003.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.