Bordeaux, France. Firefighters battled wildfires threatening Bordeaux on Sunday as authorities expanded evacuations from the city’s suburbs and other areas of southwestern France.
The fires have spread during an intense summer heatwave affecting parts of Europe, with local authorities reporting rapid overnight progress of the blaze near Bordeaux.
Evacuations and firefighting efforts
Authorities said 220,000 people had been evacuated from southwestern France since wildfires began earlier in the week and reached Cap Ferret, a popular summer destination in the Aquitaine region.
The local authority responsible for the Bordeaux area said the fire had made rapid progress overnight.
Local farmers also volunteered to assist firefighters. Pascal Roudier, a 65-year-old farmer, said they had come to help because of the scale of the disaster.
Heatwave conditions
The Bordeaux region is known for its vineyards, while the city serves as a main transport hub for visitors travelling to nearby Atlantic coast resorts.
Reuters Climate Monitor data showed that temperatures in Aquitaine averaged 32.2 degrees Celsius in July, 7.3 degrees above the normal monthly high recorded between 1961 and 1990.
Elsewhere in Europe, Spain declared a national emergency, while an elderly man died in a wildfire near Valencia.
