France wildfires burn 42,000 hectares, destroy villages including Le Porge
Roughly 42,000 hectares burned in France; thousands evacuated and EU aircraft deployed to help fight the fires.
Large wildfires in France have consumed roughly 42,000 hectares of land and wiped out entire settlements, including the coastal village of Le Porge.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 220,000 residents and tourists from homes and holiday sites; roughly 60,000 people have been allowed to return so far.
Some 5,000 firefighters, soldiers and rescue workers are engaged in containment and suppression efforts. The European Union has contributed firefighting aircraft and helicopters to bolster French resources.
Wider regional threat
French officials say this season has seen more area burned than in any year since 2006, and they warned that the principal danger is moving toward the country’s southeast and the Mediterranean coastline.
At the same time, heat-driven blazes are also active in parts of Spain, Greece and Turkey, compounding pressure on regional firefighting capacities and prompting cross-border assistance.
Photo: press material from the event
