The wildfires, the largest in modern history for both countries, have prompted evacuations of over 250,000 people in France and 100,000 in Spain. Climate scientists attribute the severity of this wildfire season to a series of record heat waves and prolonged dry conditions. Over the past 30 years, Europe has experienced a temperature increase that is double that of the global average, influenced by local geography and weather patterns. Notably, the reduction of sulfur pollution in the 1980s has allowed more sunlight to reach the continent, revealing the extent of warming previously masked by such pollutants.