More than 10,000 residents have been evacuated from southern France after a fast-moving wildfire burned thousands of hectares, with strong winds and soaring temperatures threatening to worsen the crisis.
More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from southern France after a rapidly spreading wildfire tore through the foothills of the French Pyrenees, as Europe continues to battle an intense early summer heatwave.
The fire broke out near Trévillach, close to Perpignan and the Spanish border, and has already destroyed at least 4,600 hectares (11,366 acres) of land, according to local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe.
French authorities warned that strong winds could cause the blaze to spread even further.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said firefighters were preparing for another difficult day.
“This morning conditions are deteriorating again. Today the battle resumes,” Nunez told French television station TF1.
Residents described how quickly the fire advanced toward their communities.
“It came within 300 metres of the houses. We were shocked by how fast it spread. It was staggering, bordering on panic,” Patrice, a resident of Trévillach, told AFP.
Emergency officials have ordered people to leave more than a dozen towns and villages in the affected area as firefighters continue efforts to contain the flames.
The wildfire has also disrupted the Tour de France, with organisers urging spectators to stay away from the final section of Monday’s third stage to allow emergency vehicles easy access.
The 195.9-kilometre stage starts in Granollers, Spain, and finishes in Les Angles in France’s Pyrénées-Orientales region.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme appealed to fans to cooperate.
“An exceptional fire calls for exceptional measures for the Tour. We invite the public not to come to the edge of the race or to the finish site,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union would deploy four firefighting aircraft based in Cyprus and Sweden to assist France’s emergency response.
The fires have also spread into neighbouring Spain.
More than 2,200 hectares have been destroyed in the Les Gavarres nature reserve in Catalonia, while around 500 people were evacuated after another wildfire reached the Sierra de Espadán National Park in Castellón province.
Catalan authorities said the fire in Les Gavarres had been stabilised and was expected to be fully extinguished later this week.
Weather forecasters have warned that temperatures could climb to 40°C again in south-west France, with parts of Spain and Portugal already recording temperatures above that mark.
BBC Weather Lead Forecaster Matt Taylor said the hot conditions remain a major concern.
“Although this heatwave is unlikely to break records in the way June’s did, it will still be exceptional for the time of year.”
“With the heat expected to persist into next week and little widespread rain forecast, the risk of further wildfires will remain elevated.”
The latest wildfire comes just weeks after a record-breaking June heatwave, when temperatures reached 42°C in parts of France.
The extreme heat contributed to more than 2,000 excess deaths in France, alongside hundreds more in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Scientists say climate change is increasing temperatures worldwide, with Europe warming at about twice the global average. The rising temperatures have led to more frequent heatwaves, prolonged droughts and increasingly destructive wildfires across the continent.
