Devastating European wildfires in maps - and how they're being tackled

These extreme and unpredictable conditions make the fires all the more difficult to stop.To combat them, French firefighters have been using planes loaded with fire retardant, as well as planes like the Canadair, which can scoop 6,000 litres of water from lakes or the sea in 12 seconds and drop it directly on the fires.On dangerous days, loaded aircraft patrol high-risk areas before any fires have been reported, so they can drop within minutes of a sighting. Planes often fly in a continuous shuttle while retardant is laid along the edges of the fire and ground crews attack the flames directly.In Gironde, about 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel, and 1,200 police officers and gendarmes have been involved in tackling the blaze.Around the town of Lacanau, bulldozers, diggers and mechanical shovels have been used to carve a firebreak that is 100m (328ft) wide at points, according to French media. A firebreak is essentially a stretch of land that has been stripped of all vegetation to stop the fire from spreading - removing any potential fuel before the fire has a chance to reach it.