Wildfires, drought and storms hound Europe even as heatwave recedes

EGEA DE LOS CABALLEROS, Spain, July 17 - Firefighters backed by 30 aircraft struggled on Friday to contain a wildfire in northeastern Spain that has ripped through an area the size of San Francisco, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people, as recent heatwaves left vegetation tinder-dry across much of Europe.