Wildfire in France becomes country’s most destructive in 50 years VIDEO

A wildfire in southwestern France has burned through 14,000 hectares, making it the country’s most destructive fire in at least five decades, according to Le Figaro.

The newspaper said the blaze had surpassed the 2022 fire in the Gironde department, which destroyed more than 12,500 hectares. The area affected by the current fire is now larger than the area of Paris.

Le Figaro based its assessment on a database containing information on forest fires across France since 2006 and in the Mediterranean region since 1973. The three largest fires in the database include the current blaze, the 2022 Gironde fire and a fire near the commune of Vidauban in the Var department, which affected 11,500 hectares.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on TF1 that the fire in the Gironde department had spread to 14,000 hectares and was moving toward Bordeaux after a change in wind direction.

Authorities have evacuated 110,000 people from the affected area, while preparations are underway to evacuate residents of municipalities in the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

By Sabina Mammadli