More than 1,200 hectares of land were burned! Firefighters battle southern France wildfires after deadly heatwave

Wildfires tore through southern France on Thursday, scorching a total of 1,210 hectares of land, with strong winds and dry conditions from Europe’s recent heatwave fueling their rapid spread.Hundreds of firefighters, supported by water bombers and emergency vehicles, were deployed in the affected areas as authorities raced to control the blaze, Reuters reported.The most serious fire occurred in the administrative region of Oud near the Spanish border, where approximately 900 hectares of land were burned. Local authorities said nearly 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed as high winds hampered firefighting operations.Another fire broke out near Marseille, with firefighters controlling two blazes but not completely extinguishing them. Another wildfire near Lancon-de-Provence has spread around 260 hectares, while a smaller fire near Roignac, close to Marseille airport, is also being extinguished. Authorities said there were no injuries.Alain Bucquet, premier of Aude, said two more Air Canada water jet bombers have been deployed to bolster firefighting efforts.“The idea is to control the fire quickly because the temperatures are rising and the winds are getting stronger,” Bouquet told France Information newspaper.Days earlier, the World Meteorological Organization warned that a record-breaking heat wave sweeping across Western Europe has killed more than 1,300 people, with wildfire risks significantly increased due to prolonged high temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation. Météo-France also warned that extreme heat could return next week.The Aude region is often affected by wildfires, and last year saw the worst wildfires in France in decades. Further east, more than 2,000 people were evacuated from six campsites near the resort town of Fréjus on Wednesday as another forest fire threatened the area.