Firefighters faced multiple wildfires driven by powerful gusts across south-central France on Thursday, amid ongoing dry weather challenges after the continent's latest intense heat wave.
Home Affairs Minister Laurent Nunez stated that three fires, including two that started on the western side of the Mediterranean city of Marseille, have burned a total of 1,210 hectares (12,100,000 square meters).
Last week, the World Meteorological Organization cautioned that the extreme heatwaves which scorched Western Europe for more than seven days at the end of June could increase the likelihood of fires due to predictions of prolonged hot weather, extremely low moisture levels, and parched plant life.
The largest wildfire was raging in the Aude administrative region close to the Spanish border, having consumed approximately 900 hectares. Authorities reported that strong winds are complicating efforts of the 800 firefighters trying to contain the blaze.
At the same time, firefighters were extinguishing a minor fire in Rognac close to Marseille's airport and managed to contain another adjacent fire spanning 260 hectares in Lancon-Provence. No injuries were reported, according to local authorities.
A pungent odor of smoke lingered in the air, and pilots aboard at least one flight arriving in the city assured travelers that the scent did not originate from their plane, according to a Reuters reporter.
To the east, in Frejus—a tourist destination located in the Var region, approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Cannes—over 2,000 individuals were relocated from six campgrounds on Wednesday due to a forest fire occurring close by.
The French meteorological service has issued a warning that yet another period of intense heat might occur next week. Public health officials believe that the recent heatwave could have resulted in approximately 1,000 additional fatalities across the nation amid unprecedented high temperatures.
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