The megafire in France’s southwest Gironde department near Bordeaux, which has burned through 42,000 hectares of forest since July 22, remained “stable” Tuesday morning after a calm night, according to the local prefecture. However, forecasts predict a rise in temperatures up to 33 to 35°C inland during the day, accompanied by a southeast wind, which could reignite the blaze. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Massive fire near Bordeaux ‘under control’ after a calm night: prefecture
The megafire that has burned 42,000 hectares in Gironde since July 22 is “still stabilized” this morning after a “calm” night, according to the department’s prefecture.
“Several flare-ups were dealt with last night but are under control (north of Porge, north of Cap-Ferret in the dune area) thanks to the work of the firefighters. The burned area is unchanged,” according to the same source.
During the day, Météo-France forecasts a rise in temperatures up to 33 to 35°C inland, accompanied by a south-east wind, with ocean breezes from the west on the coast, which could reignite the blaze.
‘Difficult hours’ ahead for firefighters in Spain
Spanish authorities hope to bring the fires raging near Madrid under control by Tuesday evening, ahead of a new heat wave expected to begin on Wednesday that will bring “difficult hours,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned.
“There are still difficult hours ahead” as “temperatures rise,” Sanchez warned during a visit to the emergency coordination center in the Valencia region.
The fire in the western Sierra de Madrid was spreading toward the massive blaze in Ávila, in the neighbouring region of Castile and León, the “largest” wildfire in Spain’s recent history, according to the government. Together, these two fires have ravaged approximately 75,000 hectares in just a few days – seven times the area of Paris. The fire raging at the same time in Gironde has burned more than 42,000 hectares.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering wildfires in Europe. Catch up on yesterday’s developments here.
