New forest fires in southwestern France have reduced more than 1,000 hectares of nature to ashes. Residents of that part of the country were evacuated. With temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, the area is hotter than ever.
The fire broke out on Monday south of Bordeaux. More than 800 people in the Gironde region have been forced to leave their homes. The fire was not put out on Tuesday.
Two Canadian firefighting planes, among others, are helping French firefighters fight the blaze. Canadian equipment was also used frequently during the hot summer months in southwestern France.
On Monday, the French meteorological agency Meteo France recorded record temperatures for the month of September. Mercury has risen to 39.1 degrees. According to the meteorological service, the extreme heat is caused by a heat wave that has arrived from Morocco.
The south of France has been ravaged several times by fires this summer. Especially in the southwestern region around Bordeaux, it has been a regular hit.
–
