More than 6,000 people have been evacuated from wildfires after massive fires destroyed more than 15,000 hectares in the Gironde region of southwestern France. The 37,000-acre pine forest sparked again in July, tearing through woodland.
"Fires are rampant and are now spreading across the Landes," said local officials in the wine-producing province. The French government doubled the number of firefighters to his 1,000 on Wednesday afternoon as planes dropped water.
Fires in the Landiras area in July reignited late Tuesday amid severe drought and high temperatures. Overnight, 6,000 hectares of forest burned rapidly, and on Wednesday morning the fire department said the blaze had continued to "progress rapidly." announced the closure of a major highway between Bayonne, as fires were heading there and smoke caused visibility problems.
"We face a very high risk. ' he said. He said extreme heat and record drought in the region played a role. The July Hell never completely extinguished, but continued to smolder in the peatlands of the region.
High temperatures on Tuesday afternoon rekindled the fires caused by hot winds, local officials said.
About 3,800 people were evacuated from their homes in the areas of Bellam-Bérier, Saint Magne and Austin. Many said they saw towering black smoke approaching. Guespereau said it was very difficult for the evacuated villagers, who had already been forced to leave their homes when the fires first broke out a month ago. By Wednesday morning, he had 2,000 more people evacuated.
Near the village of Belin-Béliet, he had 16 houses destroyed, although no one was injured in the summer tourist area.
"Everyone in the village climbed onto the roof to see what was going on. Within ten minutes the smoke was a little twisting and huge," she evacuated from Hostens. Her 30-year-old Camille Delay said. As the wall of flame rapidly approached, DeLay, her son, and her husband fled on the orders of paramedics. Before leaving home, the couple grabbed two cats, a chicken, and home insurance papers. Affected by Franceit was the largest of several fires to break out this year in the southwest.
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The Gironde was hit by two wildfires in July that destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and displaced some 40,000 people.
France is battling drought and heatwaves. Multiple wildfires have erupted in the past two months
Others This week, parts of France were blazed by wildfires, including the southern regions of Lozère and Aveyron. In the Loire, more than 1,200 hectares were scorched.
