{"id":21596,"date":"2026-07-30T03:24:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T22:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21596"},"modified":"2026-07-30T03:24:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T22:24:51","slug":"europe-enters-a-new-era-of-mega-fires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21596","title":{"rendered":"Europe enters a new era of mega fires"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The vast blazes ripping through southwestern France burned so intensely they created a powerful, fire-generated thunderstorm. This rare phenomenon is sometimes seen in the kinds of megafires that afflict the US and Canada, but was unprecedented in France, until now \u2014 and it&#8217;s just one sign that Europe is entering a new fire era, experts say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Europe has always had wildfires, but they are becoming <a data-ylk=\"slk:increasingly extreme;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth\/explore\/wildfires-and-climate-change\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">increasingly extreme<\/a> as the climate crisis tightens its grip. Firefighters in France and Spain have this week been trying to tame blazes more ferocious and more erratic than anything they&#8217;ve tackled before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Wednesday, authorities in Spain and France said that some wildfires <a data-ylk=\"slk:had been stabilized;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/cnn.com\/2026\/07\/29\/world\/live-news\/france-spain-wildfires-heat-wave?post-id=cms65h3kh00193b6y9vcx9r9l&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">had been stabilized<\/a>, but expressed concern that things could still deteriorate amid Europe&#8217;s fourth heat wave so far this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The European Union has also warned<strong> <\/strong>there is a risk of fires <a data-ylk=\"slk:further east;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/29\/world\/live-news\/france-spain-wildfires-heat-wave?post-id=cms629eos000a3b6y1bvqxypu&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">further east<\/a> in Greece and Italy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This all follows from Europe&#8217;s <a data-ylk=\"slk:record-breaking fire season last year;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu\/jrc-news-and-updates\/2025-was-eus-most-destructive-wildfire-season-record-2026-03-31_en\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">record-breaking fire season last year<\/a>, with experts saying the continent is joining a long list of regions \u2014 from <a data-ylk=\"slk:Siberia;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/05\/14\/europe\/russia-wildfires-rage-siberia-region-intl-latam?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Siberia<\/a> to the <a data-ylk=\"slk:Amazon;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/08\/25\/americas\/amazon-fire-efforts-damage?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a> \u2014 which now endure back-to-back extreme fire seasons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">unknown content item<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"> &#8211;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We have entered an era of fires that cannot be extinguished,&#8221; said V\u00edctor Resco de Dios, lecturer of forestry engineering and global change at the University of Lleida in Spain. &#8220;These are fires that burn with the intensity of several atomic bombs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a data-ylk=\"slk:\ud83d\udd25;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/interactive\/new_business\/weather_app\/?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>\ud83d\udd25 <\/strong><\/a><a data-ylk=\"slk:CNN Weather app brings you climate news and local weather;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/cnnweather.onelink.me\/KSXA\/sforlc5x\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CNN Weather app brings you climate news and local weather<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Wildfires in France have now scorched more than <a data-ylk=\"slk:160,000 hectares;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/27\/world\/live-news\/france-spain-wildfires-evacuations?post-id=cms3mjhep000w356ra5t8k3ne&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">160,000 hectares<\/a> (about 617 square miles), making them the <a data-ylk=\"slk:largest on record;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/forest-fire.emergency.copernicus.eu\/apps\/effis.statistics\/seasonaltrend\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">largest on record<\/a> for the country, and there are still months of wildfire season left.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The situation we face today is the hardest we&#8217;ve ever recorded, the hardest since the Second World War,&#8221; French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday on a visit to Bordeaux. He called the fires &#8220;totally unprecedented.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One of the most visceral examples of this was the appearance of fire clouds, or &#8220;pyrocumulonimbus,&#8221; which formed over the weekend in the Gironde region, near Bordeaux, according to fire authorities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Fire clouds emerge when particularly intense wildfires generate a plume of extreme heat, which rises rapidly into the cooler air above and condenses into towering thunderstorm clouds. These can create their own wind, rain and lightning and transform blazes into erratic and unpredictable self-feeding firestorms.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Layered satellite images show a cloud of smoke over southwest France on Monday, July 27, 2027. - NASA Worldview\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/c16869d331f14729242fd906aff9e97d0708b0c9e23fcb376bdb3819c2924449\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fcnn_articles_875%2Ff5577dbde677bb63137ae9344dd1a492\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><default:path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/default:svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\"><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"><\/p>\n<p>Layered satellite images show a cloud of smoke over southwest France on Monday, July 27, 2027. &#8211; NASA Worldview<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The phenomenon is well documented in Australia, Canada and the US \u2014 the Los Angeles fires in 2025 produced a <a data-ylk=\"slk:rare tornado, or firenado;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/01\/13\/us\/video\/firenado-los-angeles-palisades-fire-digvid?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">rare tornado, or firenado<\/a> \u2014 but they are not at all common in Europe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said it could not yet say for certain this was France&#8217;s first pyrocumulonimbus. &#8220;However, if confirmed, its development would highlight the exceptional intensity of the current fire and the extraordinary atmospheric conditions under which it is burning,&#8221; said Francesca Di Giuseppe, the center&#8217;s fire forecast coordinator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The scale of the fires is also remarkable, experts said. They have scorched huge tracts of land across France and Spain, both of which have requested EU assistance. &#8220;A synchronized, multinational wildfire crisis is rare in Europe,&#8221; said Stefan Doerr, director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University in Wales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The fires have raged near major cities, including one which has torn through the mountainous province of Avila, west of the Spanish capital Madrid, and is now the country&#8217;s largest on record, authorities have said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A helicopter collects water from a swimming pool to combat wildfires on July 28, 2026 in Casillas, in \u00c1vila province, Spain. - Pablo Blazquez Dominguez\/Getty Images\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/da8905306db0885dea5f4772565dffc4e651a2239fa59107c9a08c9137ba5a31\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fcnn_articles_875%2Fb9a7b54d2f7d79f5ec3fc645b36c2f0c\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><default:path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/default:svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\"><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"><\/p>\n<p>A helicopter collects water from a swimming pool to combat wildfires on July 28, 2026 in Casillas, in \u00c1vila province, Spain. &#8211; Pablo Blazquez Dominguez\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;What is uncommon is the current number of destructive wildfires: fires that spread rapidly, overwhelm fire brigades and force communities to evacuate,&#8221; said Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London. More than 300,000 people have been evacuated across the two countries so far, though some were able to begin returning to their homes on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Wildfires in Turkey have also begun to pick up. Authorities said fires have spread in agricultural and forested areas of the southwestern Mugla province on the Aegean coast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In neighboring Greece, at least three firefighters have been killed: Two while battling flames on Crete and a third while tackling a blaze in Gythio, the state-run Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) reported, citing the Greek Fire Service officials. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to their families, saying his thoughts are with all first responders on the frontlines. An evacuation order was issued for Triopetra on the southern coast of Crete, according to AMNA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Complete suppression of fires of this magnitude is almost impossible until the fuel runs out or persistent rain arrives, no matter how many firefighting resources are mobilized, experts say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;In Australia, parts of the US and Canada, there is a general expectation and acceptance of out-of-control wildfires,&#8221; said Swansea University&#8217;s Doerr. &#8220;In Europe there is still a widely held notion that such fires can be entirely prevented.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Why are these fires so bad?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Each wildfire is complex and unique and affected by many factors, including land management, terrain and firefighting resources. But extreme weather, made worse by climate change, has been a key driver of Europe&#8217;s fires, scientists say.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Global warming is bringing stronger swings between wet and dry extremes. It&#8217;s a &#8220;whiplash effect,&#8221; said Matthew Jones, an independent research fellow at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia in England.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Last winter was unusually wet in France and Spain, leading a surge in vegetation growth. Then the weather flipped. Since May, Western Europe has been roiled by a <a data-ylk=\"slk:succession of brutal heat waves;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/06\/26\/climate\/european-heat-wave-impossible-global-warming?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">succession of brutal heat waves<\/a>, which parched the landscape. This heat provided &#8220;the &#8216;crack of the whip&#8217; in the whiplash effect, turning that dense vegetation into highly combustible fuel,&#8221; Jones said.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">&#8216;Dantean scenarios&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Extinguishing the current fires completely may take months, authorities have said, but their impacts will linger long after that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The hazardous, smoke-filled skies they produce are harmful to health. Pollution from wildfires is estimated to cause <a data-ylk=\"slk:more than 100,000 deaths;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/wmo.int\/media\/news-from-members\/particulate-matter-from-wildfires-causes-globally-over-100000-annual-deaths-impacts-of-fire-smoke\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">more than 100,000 deaths<\/a> globally every year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Firefighters try to extinguishing fires using a wildland water truck near Le Porge, southwestern France on July 23, 2026. - Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/ae805f0de13e8188612e8abc448677d786bed6bea02d42aaea653fa85a84ce40\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fcnn_articles_875%2F24a4ce8617f5a8fad1a4fdb03d025ff0\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><default:path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/default:svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\"><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"><\/p>\n<p>Firefighters try to extinguishing fires using a wildland water truck near Le Porge, southwestern France on July 23, 2026. &#8211; Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">There&#8217;s also the damage to economies. These fires are raging near major European cities, affecting tourist hotspots, wine-growing regions and vital defense hubs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">More than that, they may change people&#8217;s relationship with the land they live on, now they find themselves under the constant threat of uncontrollable fires.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Into the future, scientists say we should expect fires \u2014 in Europe as elsewhere \u2014 to become more frequent and more extreme as long as humans continue to burn fossil fuels and push up temperatures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s difficult to predict how far things might go,&#8221; said Resco de Dios, &#8220;we will soon be unable to rule out Dantean scenarios like those seen in California or Australia, with fires or fire complexes reaching hundreds of thousands of hectares or even a million hectares.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>CNN&#8217;s Catherine Nicholls contributed to this reporting.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at <a data-ylk=\"slk:CNN.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/register?source=external-feeds_iluminar&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo&amp;registration_email_campaign=https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CNN.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The vast blazes ripping through southwestern France burned so intensely they created a powerful, fire-generated thunderstorm. This rare phenomenon is sometimes seen in the kinds of megafires that afflict the US and Canada, but was unprecedented in France, until now \u2014 and it&#8217;s just one sign that Europe is entering a new fire era, experts&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/1f6ad481240545c4113ad8a01f471ff5ab9f28292ad9369fa963a82709706438\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960_h540;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fcnn_articles_875%2Fc682eafbab7c7b1c43ada7f8b6e351b1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}