Around 2,000 firefighters have been deployed to tackle multiple wildfires sweeping across France’s Mediterranean coastline, as strong winds and dry conditions continue to fuel the rapidly spreading flames following a recent European heatwave.
In the coastal town of Canet-en-Roussillon near the Spanish border, dramatic scenes showed warehouses and a yacht engulfed in flames at a marina, while thick black smoke drifted across nearby beaches, forcing residents and tourists to flee the area.
Authorities said approximately 1,500 people were evacuated from campsites in the town, while operations at Perpignan airport were suspended as a precaution amid worsening fire conditions.
Further west, firefighters managed to bring two separate blazes under control near Marseille, France’s second-largest city, although efforts continue to contain a larger wildfire in the Aude region where conditions remain challenging.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency crisis meeting in Marseille as the government faces mounting pressure over its response to extreme weather events, with officials warning that another heatwave could strike in the coming days.
So far this season, around 8,700 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France, with nearly 1,200 hectares lost in a single day earlier this week, according to official figures.
Meteorological experts have warned that persistent high temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation are creating highly favourable conditions for further wildfires across southern Europe.
In Aude, nearly 700 firefighters are battling a separate blaze that has already scorched about 900 hectares, with strong winds reaching up to 70 kilometres per hour hampering containment efforts.
