Forest fires swept through southern France on Thursday, burning a total area of 1,210 hectares of land, as strong winds and dry conditions left by the recent heat wave in Europe led to the fires spreading rapidly.Reuters reported that hundreds of firefighters, supported by water bomb planes and emergency vehicles, were deployed throughout the affected areas as authorities raced to contain the fires.The largest fire broke out in the Audi administrative region near the Spanish border, where it destroyed about 900 hectares. Local authorities said nearly 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed as strong winds hampered firefighting operations.Additional fires broke out near Marseille, where firefighters controlled two fires but were unable to completely extinguish them. Another forest fire near Lancon Provence has spread over about 260 hectares, while a smaller fire near Rognac, near Marseille airport, is also being tackled. Authorities said there were no injuries.Audi Governor Alain Bouquet said two more Canadair aircraft had been deployed to bolster firefighting efforts.
“The idea is to control the fire quickly because the temperatures are rising and the winds are strengthening,” Bouquet told France Info.The latest fires come days after the World Meteorological Organization warned that a record heatwave across Western Europe that has killed more than 1,300 people has dramatically increased the risk of wildfires due to prolonged high temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation.
The French Meteorological Office also warned that another wave of extreme heat could hit the country next week.The Audi region is often affected by forest fires and was the site of the largest forest fire in France in decades last year. Further east, more than 2,000 people were evacuated from six campsites near the resort of Frejus on Wednesday, as another wildfire threatened the area.
