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France's largest wildfire in decades brought under control
🇱🇻 Latvia /Disasters & Emergencies

France's largest wildfire in decades brought under control

From Delfi Latvia · () Latvian

Translated from Latvian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • France has brought under control the country's largest wildfire in decades, which raged for weeks in the Gironde region near Bordeaux.
  • The blaze scorched 42,000 hectares of pine forest and destroyed about 240 homes, forcing the evacuation of 220,000 people.
  • This year's total burned area in France, 92,000 hectares, is the largest recorded in any year over the past two decades.

France is breathing a sigh of relief as firefighters have brought under control the nation's largest wildfire in decades. The blaze, which raged for weeks in the Gironde region near the wine capital of Bordeaux, has finally been contained, though pockets of fire remain active.

The inferno devastated 42,000 hectares of pine forest along the Atlantic coast and destroyed approximately 240 homes. The crisis forced the evacuation of 220,000 residents, most of whom have now returned home. Officials believe a bush-clearing machine accidentally sparked the fire last Wednesday.

The fire is under control, it is no longer spreading.

— NunjessA fire official announced the containment of the wildfire.

This wildfire marks the largest in France since 1949, when a similar blaze in the same region consumed around 50,000 hectares. The total area burned in France this year has reached 92,000 hectares, the highest figure recorded in two decades, according to European Forest Fire Information System satellite data. The prolonged heatwaves and dry conditions have exacerbated the fire risk across the country.

finally can breathe a sigh of relief

— Sophie BrocasThe prefect of the Gironde region commented on the containment of the fire after more than a week of fighting.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi Latvia in Latvian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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