France swelters as wildfires force mass evacuations

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents in the municipality of Ille-sur-Têt in southern France after a major wildfire broke out in the Pyrénées-Orientales department amid extreme heat, BFMTV reports.

Earlier, Prefect Pierre-André Durand announced the evacuation of the Aspres mountain region, home to around 5,000 people. As a result, approximately 10,000 residents are expected to be affected by the evacuation measures.

According to the department’s administration, emergency alerts have been issued to residents across 26 communes.

The wildfire erupted on July 4 in the mountainous areas of the Eastern Pyrenees. By the evening of the following day, the affected area had expanded to 2,000 hectares, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated. Authorities said the rapid spread of the blaze was fueled by strong winds, high temperatures and vegetation dried out by prolonged heat.

Additional wildfires have also been reported in the southern department of Hérault. During firefighting operations near the town of Carlencas-et-Levas, one firefighter suffered minor burns, according to the department’s fire and rescue service.

By Jeyhun Aghazada