Bordeaux, France. France was bracing for its fourth major heatwave of the year on Tuesday as high temperatures and dry conditions increased pressure on crews fighting a major wildfire in the Bordeaux region. The blaze has burned 42,000 hectares and prompted the evacuation of about 220,000 people, including residents and holidaymakers.
Heatwave and firefighting conditions
Temperatures in Bordeaux were forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius, around 7 degrees above the average high recorded between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the area on Monday, described the situation as the most severe recorded since the Second World War.
“The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War,” Macron said.
Fire remains difficult to contain
Fire crews contained the blaze overnight, but conditions remained difficult, according to Nathalie Delattre, senator for Gironde, the department that includes Bordeaux.
“Everything will depend on how the firefighters on the ground get on,” Delattre told BFM TV on Tuesday.
France has experienced an unprecedented wildfire season, with the area burned already exceeding the previous record set in 2022.
The Landes area southwest of Bordeaux is covered by pine forests, which become highly flammable during dry conditions.
Returns begin in Biscarrosse
In Biscarrosse, about 40 kilometres south of Bordeaux, where another wildfire struck last week, conditions have improved. The local administration said on X that about 15,000 evacuated people were gradually being allowed to return to their homes and a nearby campsite.
It warned that the improved situation did not eliminate the risk of further flare-ups, particularly because of wind and drought conditions.