Massive Wildfire Forces Thousands to Evacuate in Southwest France

More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from over two dozen towns and villages in southwestern France as a fast-moving wildfire continues to spread near the Spanish border. The blaze has already burned around 4,600 hectares in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, with strong winds expected to worsen conditions and make firefighting efforts more challenging.

France has received support from the European Union, which is deploying four waterbombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden to help contain the fire near Perpignan. The wildfire has injured five people, including a firefighter, while authorities have restricted public access to areas near the route of the Tour de France to allow emergency teams to operate safely. The race will continue with reduced support vehicles.

The wildfire follows an unusually hot early summer across France and Western Europe, leaving forests and grasslands highly vulnerable to fire. Across the border in Spain, another wildfire has scorched thousands of hectares, while separate blazes have also forced evacuations in the Castellon region. Authorities are continuing investigations into the causes of the fires as emergency crews battle to bring them under control.

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