Thousands of emergency responders are battling to contain fast-spreading wildfires in China's southwestern city of Chongqing amid a weeks-long, record heat wave in the region
The fires, which have been visible at night from parts of the downtown area, have swept forests and mountains around the mega city in recent days. On social media, residents in downtown Chongqing complained of smelling smoke inside their apartments, while others posted pictures of burning embers from the fires reaching their balconies.Since August 18, wildfires had broken out in multiple outlying districts, local authorities said. The municipality is home to more than 32 million people.
They are also part of a global trend of wildfires that have ravaged areas from Australia to California, with scientists saying elevated global temperatures due to human-driven climate change increase the risk of these events.Firefighters combat a mountain wildfire in Chongqing, China on August 22.
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