Foreign News
Firefighters battle France wildfire as tens of thousands evacuated near Bordeaux
Firefighters are battling to contain wildfires burning near to the city of Bordeaux as tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the surrounding region.
Speaking on Sunday, the city’s Mayor, Thomas Cazenave, said the fire was about 15km (9 miles) from the outskirts of the city’s wider region, and 25 to 30km (15 and 19 miles) from its centre, although downplayed the possibility of Bordeaux being evacuated.
Overnight into Sunday about 55,000 people were evacuated from villages to the south of the city in the Gironde region, famed for its vineyards.
Wildfires have raged across Europe over the past week, primarily France and Spain, where more than 330,000 people have been evacuated.
France has been worst-affected, with an area of 42,000 hectares burnt, making it one of the largest forest fires since World War Two. About 98,000 hectares have burnt across the country since the start of the year.
In total, more than 220,000 people have been evacuated in the south west of the country.
Captain Nicolas Braz, one of the leaders of the firefighting operation, said the fire had created “its own winds – complete with whirlwinds”, adding it was “erratic and unmanageable”.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday the situation in the region remained “very unfavourable” and the wildfire was “moving erratically towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area”.
In the Gironde region, the rescue effort involves 2,500 firefighters, including a Swiss team, 1,500 military personnel and almost 1,200 police and gendarmes, who are carrying out evacuations and helping with rescue and securing operations
Dry vegetation and brisk winds are causing the fire to spread, with 60km (37 miles) of the A63 motorway, which leads to Spain, having been closed.
On Sunday afternoon, Bordeaux Airport’s departures and arrivals boards were showing delays to every flight from 17:15 onwards.
Some 28 Easyjet flights alone were delayed, many with no new departure or arrival time given, and five cancelled including UK flights.
Bordeaux Airport told BBC News air traffic control restrictions had been put in place “to facilitate the work of the emergency services” in fighting the fires, with all commercial flights affected.
It is unclear how long the delays will last, the airport added.
The final stage of the Tour de France, taking place in Paris on Sunday, has been shortened from 133km to 89km (from 82 miles to 55) to allow security forces to be redeployed to the firefighting effort.
President Emmanuel Macron said France would “rebuild” and his government would “be there for as long as is needed”.
