France battles massive wildfires as thousands are evacuated
Wildfires have burned through tens of thousands of hectares of forest (photo: open sources)
Authorities in southwestern France have evacuated nearly 4,000 people from tourist areas along the Atlantic coast as massive wildfires continue to spread. The situation could worsen in the coming days as another heatwave is forecast to hit the region, The Guardian reports.
Evacuations were ordered in the resort area of Lacanau, west of Bordeaux, where firefighters continue to battle a major wildfire. According to the French authorities, the fire in the Gironde department has already burned around 42,000 hectares — an area roughly four times the size of Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the situation the most serious crisis of its kind since World War II.
Meanwhile, forecasters predict the return of extreme heat, leaving the risk of new wildfires very high.
Wildfires are also continuing in other parts of France, including the Var department, although firefighters there have managed to partially bring the blaze under control.
Wildfires in Spain
Meanwhile, in Spain, the greatest concern is a massive wildfire in Ávila province, which has already become the largest in the country's history. It has burned around 50,000 hectares.
According to the newspaper, around 330,000 people have been forced to leave their homes or holiday accommodations over the past week because of wildfires in France, Spain, and Italy.
Meanwhile, in some parts of Spain where the situation has improved, authorities have already begun gradually lifting evacuation orders.
President Emmanuel Macron will hold an interministerial crisis meeting on the wildfires affecting several French departments.
Earlier, uncontrolled wildfires in Spain and France forced more than 250,000 people to flee.
