At least 6,200 hectares of forest in the western French Gironde have so far gone up in flames due to a fire that flared up again in the department on Tuesday. In addition, about 10,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and several roads to Spain have been closed, international news agencies reported on Thursday. The forest fires are still spreading, including towards the Landes department further south.
Also read: fire quickly ate through the pine trees in the Gironde, partly because of the monoculture
During a press conference on Wednesday evening, local authorities spoke of a “zealous fight” against the fire, which the fire service “continues to surprise”. A fire chief called the blaze “a monster with brains” and says the fire is spreading “in all directions.” The fire can spread quickly in the Gironde, already affected by major forest fires in July, due to the flammability of pine trees and the monoculture – one type of tree in rows next to each other.
France has been ravaged by forest fires for weeks, due to the extreme drought caused by temperatures of up to 40 degrees. More than 57,000 hectares have so far gone up in flames. That is about six times the average per year in the period 2006-2021. According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, Italy and Sweden are planning to help France in the fight against the fire.
In several European countries, major problems have been caused by forest fires, fueled by the persistent heat and drought. In Portugal, some 1,200 firefighters managed to fight a forest fire on Wednesday that had been raging since Saturday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares. Neighboring Spain and Greece, but also more northerly European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and the Czech Republic have been struggling with major forest fires this summer.
Also view this photo series about the aftermath of previous forest fires in Europe this year