The PARIS Wildfires raged in southwestern France on Tuesday, destroying sixteen houses, burning 6,000 hectares and forcing the evacuation of almost 6,000 people in an area already hit last month by huge blazes.
France, like the rest of Europe, is dealing with heatwaves and drought that have caused several wildfires across the continent over the past two months.
Local authorities of the wine-growing Gironde department said 500 firefighters were mobilised and that the fire is rampant and has now spread to the Landes department.
In July, the Gironde in southwest France was hit by two wildfires that destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and led to the evacuation of almost 40,000 people.
On Tuesday, fires were also raging in other parts of the country, one in the southern departments of Lozere and Aveyron, where close to 600 hectares have already been burnt, and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is due to go later in the day.