French Wildfire Near Bordeaux Contained as 1,500 Firefighters Battle Separate Blaze in Provence

France is grappling with two major wildfires, one near Bordeaux that has been contained but continues to burn, and a newer, intense blaze in Provence. The Bordeaux fire, which scorched approximately 420 square kilometers (162 square miles) in the Gironde region, forced the evacuation of 224,000 people. While its advance has been stopped, authorities caution that the fire is not extinguished, with high temperatures and winds posing a risk of reignition.

Hundreds of kilometers away, nearly 1,500 firefighters are battling a separate fire in the Gros Bessillon hills of Provence. This blaze has burned roughly 18 square kilometers (seven square miles) in just over a day and has stabilized, meaning its perimeter did not expand overnight. However, it has not yet been declared contained, and firefighting aircraft are supporting ground crews to protect nearby villages.

These fires have prompted significant evacuations, with thousands displaced or unable to return to their homes. The Gironde blaze represented one of the largest peacetime evacuations in modern French history. The Provence fire is the fourth major fire to hit the Var department since July 19.

Scientists from World Weather Attribution have calculated that human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood of the extreme fire conditions experienced in France. Europe is warming at twice the global average rate, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, exacerbating the wildfire threat. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that while the wildfires are generally under control, conditions remain volatile, and announced the appointment of a national coordinator for reconstruction efforts in affected areas.

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The fire is now fixed, which does not mean that the fire is extinguished.