A massive wildfire in southwestern France has scorched over 11,000 hectares of forest and scrubland, injuring nine people, including a critically burned victim.
The fire, which began in Ribaute in the Corbières hills near the Spanish border, forced partial evacuations of campgrounds and a village, and has triggered the closure of key roads, including a major stretch of the A9 motorway between Perpignan and Narbonne.
Officials report that seven firefighters were among the injured. Another blaze has since ignited just 20 kilometers northwest of the initial fire.
More than 1,200 firefighters, backed by Canadair water bombers, are battling the flames amid strong winds and extremely dry conditions. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that all national resources have been mobilized to contain the rapidly spreading blaze, according to dw.com
French authorities described the situation as critical, citing adverse weather and terrain as major challenges. The fires have darkened skies and engulfed entire hillsides in flames, with dramatic footage showing towering smoke clouds above villages.
Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities evacuated seven hotels and two camping sites after a forest fire broke out yesterday near the coastal resort town of Tarifa, in southern Spain’s Andalusia region.
The fire, which began in the La Peña Mountain area just kilometers from Tarifa, spread rapidly due to strong winds blowing in from the Strait of Gibraltar.
Andalusia’s Interior Minister, Antonio Sanz, said more than 5,000 vehicles and a large number of people were evacuated in record time.
The situation remains “complex,” with the fire still uncontrolled, he added. Seventeen aircraft, including planes and helicopters, have been deployed to help douse the flames.
Emergency services closed a nine-kilometer stretch of the coastal road near the affected area. The fire comes amid a severe heat wave gripping Spain, with the Civil Protection Agency warning that the fire risk is at its peak in many parts of the country.
