France Mobilizes All-Out Efforts to Extinguish Wildfires Before the Next Heat Wave

[Financial News] A massive wildfire near Bordeaux in southwestern France has continued to spread for several days, forcing 220,000 residents and tourists to evacuate and destroying more than 240 homes. Damage is mounting rapidly, and authorities are on high alert as another heat wave is forecast for this week.
On the 27th local time, foreign media including AFP reported that the wildfire briefly eased overnight after light rain, but firefighters and even local farmers have voluntarily joined the effort and are working all out to contain it. Farmers are helping by using tractors to level the ground and pickup trucks loaded with water tanks to clear access for fire engines and supply water.
Since the fire began on the 22nd in western Bordeaux, about 42,000 hectares of forest have been reduced to ashes, an area larger than the city of Detroit in Michigan, United States.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the wildfire site in person to assess the damage and direct response measures.
The French military has also deployed a specially modified A400M transport aircraft to drop large amounts of fire retardant from the air in support of the operation.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, "The flames have not yet been brought under control," and urged extreme caution, adding, "Since the fire has not been fully extinguished, we must remain extremely vigilant."
The French Firefighters' Federation said the wildfire has generated a massive pyrocumulus cloud, or "fire cloud," that can create strong winds, lightning and even tornadoes on its own. Fire authorities said this is the first time such a phenomenon has been observed in France.
Météo-France forecast that temperatures will surge again to 40 degrees Celsius from the 28th and that dry winds will blow, raising concerns about further damage, AFP reported.

[email protected] Yoon Jae-joon Reporter