Fires in southwest France unstoppable, 14,000 hectares of pine forest destroyed

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - Fires in southwestern France’s Gironde seem unstoppable six days after they began with flames as high as 100 meters engulfing over 14,000 hectares of forest land, authorities said on Monday.

Charles Lafourcade, in charge of the firefighting in Landiras, said the situation was "very unfavorable" due to strong winds and heat waves.

Gironde has been placed on heat wave red alert by the weather department, with maximum temperatures expected to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius in some parts.

According to local fire and rescue services, firefighters were struggling to contain flames as high as 100 meters, and the situation is likely to last for a few more days.

To prevent injuries to local residents, additional 3,500 evacuations will be carried out from the communes of Budos, Balzac, and Landiras, authorities said. Close to 20,000 people have already been evacuated since last Tuesday.

The two fires have caused enormous environmental destruction, burning over 14,000 hectares of pines: 9,800 hectares in Landiras and 4,200 in La Teste-de-Buch. On Sunday, the flames in Teste-de-Buch reached the forests adjoining the coast of Biscarosse Plage.

A total of 1,700 firefighters are engaged on-site supported by nine water bomber planes, a statement from the prefecture of Gironde said.