France declares largest wildfire since 1949 contained near Bordeaux

France has announced that its largest wildfire since 1949, which devastated pine forests near Bordeaux for over a week, has been contained. The blaze, which consumed 42,000 hectares in the Gironde region, is no longer spreading, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. However, he cautioned that some areas still require active firefighting.

The region has been battling wildfires for weeks, exacerbated by a series of deadly heatwaves that have dried out vegetation and riverbeds. Scientists widely attribute these extreme weather phenomena to human-induced climate change. The fire near Bordeaux, a region known for its wine production, also destroyed around 240 homes and forced the evacuation of 220,000 people.

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The fire is contained, it is no longer spreading.

Local officials stated that the fire was accidentally ignited by forestry equipment on a Wednesday. Sophie Brocas, the prefect of the Gironde region, expressed relief, noting that aircraft assisting firefighters and volunteers for over a week had helped bring the situation under control. Most evacuated residents have returned home, though some will have to wait longer for the remaining fires to be extinguished.

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The region can finally 'breathe easier' as aircraft assisting firefighters and volunteers for over a week have allowed the situation to be brought under control.

In a separate incident, firefighters in the Var region of southeastern France managed to halt a rapidly spreading fire that had ignited on Friday. Regional prefect Simon Babre described the wind fanning the flames as moving "faster than a galloping horse." This fire was the latest in a series in the Var region during July, burning a total of 5,600 hectares. Hollywood actor George Clooney and his family were among those forced to evacuate their homes due to one of these fires.

Further north, a fire in the Forest of Fontainebleau near Paris in mid-July destroyed a tenth of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Bordeaux fire is the largest in France since a devastating 1949 wildfire in the same region that destroyed approximately 50,000 hectares. Satellite data indicates that 92,000 hectares have burned in France this year, the highest area recorded in a single year over the past two decades.

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Faster than a galloping horse.