France's largest wildfire in decades brought under control

French firefighters have finally gained control over the country's largest wildfire in decades, a blaze that consumed a vast pine forest area southwest of Bordeaux. The fire, which had been raging for over a week, was declared under control on Saturday, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

This significant wildfire, the largest recorded in France since 1949, scorched an area of about 420 square kilometers. This is larger than the Danish island of Mors, which measures 360 square kilometers. The inferno also resulted in the destruction of 240 homes in the Gironde region, near Bordeaux.

Local residents reported that the fire likely started accidentally when a machine clearing undergrowth sparked on Wednesday of the previous week. Since then, firefighting planes, ground crews, and volunteers have been engaged in a relentless battle to contain the flames. Most of the 220,000 people evacuated due to the fire have now returned to their homes, though some may still have to wait until all active fires are extinguished.

Firefighters have been simultaneously fighting other blazes across the country. In the southeast, a rapidly advancing wildfire in the Var region was stopped from spreading on Saturday morning. This region has seen 56 square kilometers burn in July alone due to multiple fires. One of these fires forced Hollywood star George Clooney and his family to evacuate their home earlier in the week.

The series of wildfires in France follows a period of intense heatwaves that have left water sources and vegetation critically dry. Scientists attribute the increased frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events to human-caused climate change.

“

The fire is under control and is no longer spreading.