Record wildfires scorch 28,000 ha in France and 50,000 ha in Spain by July 1

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Scientists call for better land management alongside reduction in greenhouse gases causing the crisis

When storm after storm battered the Mediterranean at the start of the year, drowning fields and sending water spurting from plug sockets , few people were fretting about fires.

But just four months later, the murky brown floods that swamped towns and fouled homes across western Europe have given way to angry red blazes and choking black smoke . Rampant wildfires burned 28,000 hectares (69,160 acres) in France and 50,000 hectares in Spain as of 1 July, more than double the average for that time of year, and more land has been charred by bigger fires in the week since.

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