A third forest fire broke out in the Gironde region of western France, leading to the evacuation of a further 500 people, according to the prefecture of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde.
After a “very difficult night”, the city council tweeted this Tuesday morning (19) that a total of 19,300 hectares had already been burned by the other two fires in the Gironde.
A total of 37,000 people were evacuated due to the three fires, the city said, adding that more than 2,000 firefighters are mobilized to fight the blaze.
The latest fire in the commune of Vensac de Gironde burned 70 hectares on Tuesday morning, according to the prefecture.
None of the fires have been resolved, according to Commander Matthieu Jomain, a spokesman for the Gironde Fire and Rescue Service.
CNN affiliate BFMTV reported Tuesday morning that the city of Bordeaux, situated in the Gironde region, woke up to “thick smoke and a strong smell of burning”.
Jomain urged the public to refrain from calling firefighters because of the smoke, as “there is no risk to the population” of Bordeaux. He said there were thousands of smoke-related calls overnight.
Vincent Ferrier, deputy mayor of Langon, in the Gironde region, addressing journalists on Tuesday morning, spoke of firefighters saving buildings from fire in the commune of Guillos when the flames were “at the door of buildings”. In all, only one building was destroyed by the fire, he added.
According to the French meteorological agency Meteo-France, no region of France is under red alert as of Tuesday, although 73 regions are under orange alert.
Meteo-France has warned of the risk of forest fires in southern France due to strong “mistral” winds and areas experiencing severe drought, particularly in the Rhône valley.
Forest fires hit winery in southwest France
Forest fires ripped through France’s Gironde wine region on Tuesday, where a man was taken into custody on suspicion of arson, officials said.
The fires, fueled by scorching heat and high winds, have spread across 19,900 hectares in the countryside around Bordeaux since July 12, with a total of 34,000 people forced from their homes.
About 2,000 firefighters, supported by eight bombers, fought the blaze.
“Despite the ground and air attacks, the situation has not yet stabilized,” the city said in a statement, adding that there were no reports of deaths or injuries.
The temperature in Bordeaux was 25ºC at noon, with rain forecast at night.
The Bordeaux Public Ministry said in a statement that a man was in police custody in connection with an investigation into the Landiras fire, where 12,800 hectares were burned.
The region is home to famous vineyards and castles, but so far there have been no reports of specific damage to the vineyards.
A second fire, which has already burned 6,500 hectares, is raging along the Atlantic coast near the Duna du Pilat – the highest sand dune in Europe – in the Arcachon Bay area, above which heavy clouds of smoke have risen. to the sky.
As wildfires raged across southern France, Spain and elsewhere, Britain was predicted to see temperatures hit 40C for the first time on Tuesday after recording its hottest night on record.
Record temperatures scorch Europe as wildfires rage in the south.
*With information from Reuters
Source: CNN Brasil
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