French authorities have evacuated 525 villagers after a wildfire broke out in the pine woods of the southwestern Landes region, near an area already devastated by major blazes this summer.
The fire, which has razed 1,100 hectares of land, has spread to within 2 km of the centre of the village of Luglon. Regional official Gilles Clavreul described the situation as “unfavourable”.
500 firefighters are tackling the flames, with the help of six aircraft sent to assist. The area has experienced heatwaves this summer, and temperatures are expected to soar to 36 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon.
The Landes area is swathed in pine forests that become highly flammable when dry. The wildfire season in France has been unprecedented, with the area burned so far exceeding that of the previous record year of 2022.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
