Widespread forest fires in southwestern France forced another 55,000 people to be evacuated overnight in the Gironde department, bringing the total number of evacuees in the region to about 220,000, the Associated Press reports, BTA reports.
Variable winds continue to hamper the work of firefighting teams in the Bordeaux region. The latest evacuation order covers five municipalities southwest of the city, located in France's famous wine region.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the situation as “extremely unfavorable“ and said that firefighters had survived “another hard night“. According to him, the area of the burned areas is now approximately four times larger than that of Paris.
In a post on the social network X, Nunez warned that the fire was developing unpredictably again and was advancing towards Bordeaux. The city's mayor, Thomas Cazenave, also said that “the fire is at the gates of Bordeaux“.
During the Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV expressed his sympathy for the victims of the forest fires in France and Spain. He called on the faithful to pray for the affected people and for the rescue teams.
According to local authorities, about 42,000 hectares have burned so far in the Gironde department, mainly forests and shrub vegetation, dried out by a series of heat waves. According to Agence France-Presse, the fire destroyed about 10,000 hectares last weekend alone.
Despite the serious situation, local authorities reported that the situation remained generally stable overnight, although the fires continued to pose a serious threat to settlements in the area.