Forest Fires in Several Parts of France Largely Brought Under Control

A major forest fire near Bordeaux has been brought under control, but is not yet fully extinguished, local officials announced today.

The fire in Provence also stopped spreading during the night, but has not been brought under control.

About 3,000 firefighters remain engaged on two fronts, creating firebreaks and securing areas of burned forest, while high temperatures and wind threaten to reignite the flames.

The fire in the Gironde region burned about 420 square kilometers of land in just 10 days, before authorities declared over the weekend that its advance had been halted.

“The fire is under control, which does not mean it is extinguished,” the Gironde prefecture announced today.

The region remains under the highest, red level of forest fire alert, and dry weather creates a risk of reignition.

French firefighters are expected to be assisted today and tomorrow by colleagues from Ukraine, Lithuania, and French Polynesia.

The fires have caused some of the largest evacuations in France during peacetime, with more than 200,000 people forced to leave their homes from the region around Bordeaux.

Meanwhile, in the southeastern department of Var, nearly 1,500 firefighters battled another fire that, in just over a day, affected an area of about 18 square kilometers.

Officials announced that the fire on the Gro Besjon hills was brought under control this morning.