Wildfire in France burns 11,000 acres as Europe battles its third heatwave

France is hit by devastating wildfires that continue to spread through the Pyrenees region near the Spanish border, prompting more than 10,000 evacuations from nearly 30 towns and villages.

Initially, the fire was ignited near Trevillach, close to Perpignan, and rapidly expanded since Sunday evening, burning around 4,600 hectares (11,366 acres) of woodland and forcing residents to flee their homes.

Updating on the situation, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters on Monday, July 6, that the fire “is not yet contained” and “still progressing,” with more than 2,000 firefighters battling the flames.

Ground crews are also assisted by firefighting aircraft with dramatic footage showing planes and helicopters dropping water over engulfed woodlands.

The fire has led the Tour de France organizers to resort to drastic measures. It has been advised that spectators should keep off the finale of the third stage of the Tour de France in Les Angles due to the cancellation of the sponsor’s caravan and the transfer of security personnel to firefighting operations.

The fire is happening at a time when Europe has experienced its third heat wave in the past three months, with temperatures forecast to hit 40 degrees centigrade in southwest France this week. The neighboring country of Spain is also experiencing fires where about 500 people have been evacuated and more than 2,200 hectares have been burnt in the Les Gavarres nature reserve in Catalonia.

The combination of conditions like prolonged drought, exceptionally low humidity, and scorching temperatures has left the continent vulnerable to wildfires, with scientists warning that climate change is making such extreme weather events increasingly frequent and severe across Europe.