France, which has been suffering from a record-breaking heatwave, is now struggling with simultaneous wildfires across the country.

According to French fire authorities, more than 30 wildfires have broken out across France since July 1, with 2,000 firefighters deployed to battle the blazes.

The areas hit hardest are the southern regions of Aude, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales, and Bouches-du-Rhône.

In the Mediterranean resort areas of Canet-en-Roussillon and Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, wildfires spread to campsites and port facilities, forcing 1,700 vacationing tourists to evacuate.

Local authorities in Canet-en-Roussillon stated that 281 bungalows at a campsite were completely destroyed. They reported that 6 civilians, including one child, and 6 volunteer firefighters sustained minor injuries, while 7 city police officers suffered from mild smoke inhalation.

The mayor of Canet-en-Roussillon told AFP that vacationers from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands "left the campsite without even being able to pack their belongings."

Due to the smoke from the wildfires, flights scheduled to depart for Paris, Brussels, and London from Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport were canceled on the afternoon of July 2.

On the evening of the same day, a section of the A9 motorway heading toward Spain was temporarily closed due to the fires.

In Aude and its surrounding areas alone, approximately 950 hectares of land, equivalent to the size of 1,330 soccer fields, have been destroyed by the wildfires.

Authorities stated that they have prevented further spread of the flames as winds, which had reached speeds of 70 km/h, have calmed down. However, they continue to keep about 500 firefighters on-site to monitor for any remaining embers.

The wildfire damage is attributed to strong winds and dry weather that followed a record-breaking heatwave that lasted for over ten days.

Fire authorities expect the risk of wildfires to remain high, particularly in the southern regions, for the time being, and have urged residents and tourists to refrain from entering forests and using fire-starting equipment.


(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)