Wildfires near Bordeaux force evacuation of more than 141,000 people

Bordeaux, France. More than 141,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde and Landes regions near Bordeaux as wildfires continued to spread in southwest France, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday.

Authorities cleared the suburbs of Le Haillan, Eysines and Merignac, while motorists were advised to avoid the area.

Evacuations and response

Sophie Brocas, head of the local administration for La Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde, said evacuations were under way in areas around Bordeaux.

Lecornu said the fires, which broke out this week, had reached an unprecedented level. The army has been deployed to assist with the response.

Smoke warnings

Smoke from the fires was detected north of Bordeaux in the Haute-Vienne region. Local authorities advised residents to keep doors and windows closed.

Bordeaux is a major transport hub for visitors travelling to holiday resorts along the Atlantic coast and is known for the surrounding vineyard region.

High temperatures

Temperatures across the wider Aquitaine region have averaged 32.2 degrees Celsius so far this month, according to Reuters Climate Monitor data.

The average is 7.3 degrees Celsius above the normal July high recorded between 1961 and 1990.