Thousands evacuated from homes in southwest France as wildfire burns
Officials said strong winds could worsen the blaze as firefighters battled a fire that burned 4,600 hectares and closed part of the race route.
- On Monday, uncontrolled wildfires in southwestern France forced 10,000 residents from two dozen towns near the Spanish border, as officials warned strong winds would further fan the flames throughout the day.
- Early summer heatwaves across France and Europe scorched vast areas of land in May and June, increasing wildfire vulnerability this year. Police arrested a contractor's employee suspected of igniting one blaze by using an angle grinder near a road.
- Local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported the Trevillach fire scorched 4,600 hectares in the French Pyrenees, forcing authorities to restrict the Tour de France motorcade. Nunez warned, "This morning conditions are deteriorating again."
- On the Spanish side of the border, the fire ravaged 2,200 hectares, with 97% destroying the protected Les Gavarres natural area. Catalan authorities reported the blaze stable late on Saturday and expected complete extinguishment this week.
- South of Catalonia, 500 people evacuated after a wildfire entered the Sierra de Espadan national park in Castellon, underscoring concurrent pressure on emergency services across the region during this extreme fire period.
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97 Articles
The fire, near Perpignan, adds to other outbreaks that have already ravaged 11,000 hectares of vegetation and forced the mobilization of more than a thousand firefighters.
In southern France, forests are still burning. 10,000 people have to leave their homes. The third Tour de France stage is not allowed to be attended by spectators, as all security forces are needed. Help comes from abroad, but it remains hot and dry.
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In just a month, France faces its third heat wave accompanied by a worrying fire that has forced 10,000 people to evacuate in the Eastern Pyrenees, after the flames razed 4,600 hectares this weekend. This still unchecked fire has caused alterations in the arrival of the Tour de France stage to the department, where about 700 firefighters continue to fight the flames.Keep reading....
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