France battles fire 'whirlwinds' as another 55,000 evacuated

What the report says

BBC World News reports that another 55,000 people have been moved out of six towns in France as major wildfires intensify in the Gironde region, south of Bordeaux. Across France and Spain, the number of people evacuated has now risen to more than 340,000, according to the publisher’s latest account, as emergency services face fast-changing fire conditions after days of extreme heat, dry vegetation and wind.

France is described by the BBC as the hardest-hit country in the current outbreak. The report says 42,000 hectares have burned in one of the country’s largest forest fires since the Second World War, while about 98,000 hectares have burned nationwide since the start of the year. Firefighting commander Captain Nicolas Braz said the blaze had generated its own wind patterns, including whirlwinds, making it highly unpredictable. A 60km stretch of the A63 motorway toward Spain has been shut, and France has deployed military support to help firefighters clear brush and build fire breaks.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told La Tribune, as cited by the BBC, that the fire would take a long time to control and that evacuees would not be allowed back until it was contained. President Emmanuel Macron said the state would support rebuilding efforts for as long as necessary. In Spain, the BBC reports continuing fires around Madrid and Ávila, with more than 90,000 people evacuated, additional evacuations ordered near Toledo, and one death confirmed by authorities in València. Forecast heat and low humidity may further complicate containment efforts.