Nearly 4,000 more people have been evacuated from tourist sites in Lacanau as wildfires continue to rage in south-west France. New maps show the scale of the infernos. Over 260,000 people have been evacuated in the Gironde region since the main blaze began last Wednesday near the village of Saumos, about 25 miles west of Bordeaux.
The latest evacuation order covers campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around Lacanau. The fires have ravaged the Cap Ferret peninsula and scorched 42,000 hectares – an area four times the size of Paris – but were kept under control overnight.
Authorities Warn of Reignition Risk
Officials said on Tuesday morning that the main blaze has stabilised and the burned area remains unchanged, but warned it could still burn out of control again as temperatures rise and humidity falls. National weather service Météo-France said France’s latest heatwave is expected to begin today (Tuesday). Much of the country is forecast to see highs of 32C to 35C, with temperatures reaching 37C in the south-west. Nantes and Paris are set to hit 33C, while Lyon could reach 34C and Toulouse 35C.
Heatwave Intensifies
Temperatures are expected to climb still further on Wednesday, with intense heat spreading across much of western France. Parts of the south-west could see scorching highs of 40C, while Paris is forecast to reach 38C and Lyon 36C. The weather service has placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday on Tuesday.
President's Statement
"We’re facing a completely unprecedented fire," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, describing the situation as France’s worst fire-related crisis since World War II. More than 448 square miles have burned across France this year, according to the interior ministry. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union's Copernicus climate service.
