A major wildfire has moved to within 15km (nine miles) of Bordeaux, prompting local authorities to prepare for possible mass evacuations as fires continue to spread across France.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the city was preparing for “all eventualities” and added: “We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered.”
During a visit to the fire-hit Gironde region, French President Emmanuel Macron described the blaze as a “completely unprecedented wildfire” and the “toughest since World War Two”, according to the BBC.
More than 220,000 people have been evacuated across France, while over 100,000 have left their homes in Spain, where authorities say several wildfires remain out of control.
According to the BBC, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said more than 116,000 hectares have burned since January, with 13,566 fires recorded. He added that nine out of 10 fires “are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution”.
The BBC also reported that 162 arrests have been made since 6 July in connection with suspected wildfire offences.
Forecasters warned another heatwave is expected to raise temperatures on Tuesday, potentially making firefighting efforts even more difficult.
