Large fires near Bordeaux force the evacuation of more than 14,000 people

More than 14,000 people have been evacuated in the last hours by the two large fires declared this week near the French city of Bordeaux, which have also gained in intensity in the last hours.

The outbreaks declared in Landiras and La Teste have already destroyed 10,500 hectares since last Tuesday, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds prevailing in southern Europe, amid a heat wave that has claimed hundreds of lives in Spain and Portugal.

Right now a total of approximately 1,200 firefighters are fighting the flames after a long night that has left a good part of the contingent exhausted. At noon this Saturday, the situation is still not improving, according to sources from the prefecture of Girondal to the regional daily ‘Sud Ouest’. “The situation is still very unfavorable,” the prefecture lamented.

In Landiras, the Girondal Federation for the Defense of Forests against Fires (DFCI) and forestry companies continue to create firebreaks to limit the spread of the flames, while in La Teste, firefighters continue to protect summer camps on the right flank and houses on the left flank.

Temperatures have already reached 40 degrees in several areas of the country, according to the French meteorological service (Météo-France), which has placed 37 departments in orange state. Monday promises to be “warmer for the west of the country,” according to Météo-France, which forecasts that 40° will still be reached in Brittany, Basse-Normandie, Aquitaine and western Occitania.