Nearly 500 people have been detained in France since the beginning of July in connection with wildfires as Europe continues to face widespread fires amid record temperatures and severe drought conditions.

France’s Interior Ministry said 474 people were taken into custody over suspected links to wildfires, including 183 minors. Authorities said around 70 percent of those detained are suspected of arson, while others are believed to have caused fires accidentally.

French media reported that a 15-year-old was among those detained over a July wildfire near Bordeaux Airport, where two firefighters were killed.

The wildfire threat remains active across France. In the southwestern Landes region, a fire near the village of Luglon burned around 1,100 hectares of pine forest in less than 24 hours, forcing more than 525 people to evacuate.

Regional official Gilles Clavreul said the fire had not yet been brought under control, with around 500 firefighters and firefighting aircraft involved in efforts to contain the blaze.

Other European countries are also struggling with major wildfires.

In Germany, more than 2,000 people were evacuated after a wildfire approached the village of Gey in the Hürtgen Forest. Firefighting operations were complicated by unexploded World War II ammunition in the area.

In Croatia, a wildfire near Lokva Rogoznica on the Dalmatian coast led to the evacuation of around 1,000 people. One person was reported dead and dozens injured.

In Spain, wildfires affected more than 9,000 hectares in the northeast, forcing evacuations in 16 communities. Another fire in the southern Huelva region burned around 31,000 hectares.

In Greece, around 500 holidaymakers were evacuated by boats from beaches on the Halkidiki peninsula after a wildfire spread through forested areas. Two firefighters were injured during operations.

The United Kingdom also reported major fires, with several homes destroyed in the West Midlands region.

Scientists have warned that rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are increasing wildfire risks across Europe, which is warming faster than the global average.(ILKHA)