Hundreds of racehorses have been evacuated as fires broke out in the heatwave.
A huge operation saw thoroughbreds moved from the training centre in La Teste de Buch, France. Around 370 horses were relocated from the racecourse due to a large forest fire in the Gironde region.
Workers at the National Horseracing College, Doncaster, also had to respond to a major incident. A fire resulted from power lines and caused "significant" damage to one of the barns on site.
Pupils, staff and horses were reported to be safe by the chief executive, Colonel Stephen Padgett.
He said: “The reaction of learners and staff in the face of this very challenging situation has been fantastic. The fire brigade responded despite difficult conditions to minimise the damage and to prevent the incident from being any worse than it already was."
Padgett, who spent 37 years in the army before joining the college's leadership team, was in a meeting when he received a call to inform him of the concerning situation.
Trees surrounding the yard which houses 60 horses were alight at around 10.30am and staff joined some of the 35 learners to disperse the ex-racers to other areas of the site. Eight fire engines were called to the scene and even the chef assisted the team by using bins full of water to douse the flames.
"The blaze was very close to the stables, we had two sides of a square of flaming trees. It spread to haylage which then took hold on one of the barns and destroyed it," Col Padgett added. "The horses were concerned. The young people and staff who don't normally have anything to do with that side of the job all pulled together to help. In times of adversity you really see the best in people."
In France, horses were sent to racecourses in Bordeaux and Mont de Marsan, while others were given shelter at Haras de Saubouas. Precautions were taken to stop them inhaling toxic fumes from the approaching inferno, which has destroyed campsites and woodland across more than 45,000 acres.
Up to 16,000 people were evacuated, according to local Sky Sports Racing reporter Laurent Barbarin.
Celine Bobacher, communications manager for La Teste de Buch racecourse, told Jour de Galop: “The fire advanced so quickly and is now close to the racecourse. The strong fumes became a concern. The surrounding neighbourhoods have also been evacuated.”
Five race meetings were abandoned in England on Monday and Tuesday in response to the UK's first ever red heat alert from the Met Office.
Trainers have been exercising their horses earlier than 4am to avoid the hotter weather.
Elsewhere in the UK, a number of wildfires broke out across southern England as Britain experienced the warmest day ever. Temperatures breached 40C and shocking footage showed the devastation of a huge blaze in Wennington, East London.
The capital's fire brigade declared a major incident as colleagues battled flames at multiple locations. Experts say the extreme conditions have been caused by a plume of hot air from north Africa and the Sahara, plus an 'Azores High' – and made the UK hotter than Jamaica and Barbados.
