Bordeaux, July 26 (dpa/GNA) – The wildfires in south-western France have triggered one of the largest evacuation operations in the country’s history, with tens of thousands of people fleeing blazes, authorities said on Saturday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 167,000 people have now been evacuated in the Gironde department. Overnight alone, 57,000 people were brought to safety in several municipalities in the area surrounding the city of Bordeaux.
The minister said a further 31,000 people in the neighbouring region of Landes have also had to leave their homes due to the fires. Among those evacuated are many holidaymakers from the coastal region around the Bassin d’Arcachon, which is popular with tourists.
Boats were deployed to bring people to safety from several places, including the Cap Ferret peninsula. In light of the worsening situation, France is stepping up its support for the fire service. The number of soldiers assisting the fire service with firefighting operations will be increased from 500 to 1,000, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced, following a meeting of the inter-ministerial crisis unit.
In addition, an A400M military aircraft fitted with a special firefighting system capable of dropping up to 20 tons of fire-retardant is to be deployed. Lecornu also said 1.5 million FFP2 masks are being delivered to the Gironde to protect emergency services and the public from the harmful smoke.
According to officials, the major fire that has been raging in the Gironde since Wednesday has now engulfed around 19,000 hectares, an area larger than Paris. Around 100 buildings have been destroyed and the acrid smell of smoke has now reached the city of Bordeaux.
The authorities are describing the fire as being of “unprecedented proportions.” More than 1,200 firefighters are deployed. With the wind having shifted direction, the flames are now spreading eastwards towards the greater Bordeaux area.
President Emmanuel Macron has requested assistance from EU partners for additional aerial firefighting support. Fire crews are also battling further blazes in other areas of France, including the Var region and Corsica. There are also numerous wildfires in Italy. The Mediterranean island of Sicily and the region of Calabria are particularly affected.
Several dozen fires have been reported in Sicily alone. The authorities fear the situation may worsen due to a new heatwave. Time and again, the flames are fanned by the Scirocco wind blowing in from Africa.
GNA