France fire crews face searing heat in battle to contain flames
As the smoke eases, firefighters then move into the forest on foot to try and contain the latest flare-up. They are the principal concern for
As the smoke eases, firefighters then move into the forest on foot to try and contain the latest flare-up. They are the principal concern for the thousands of crews and volunteers combating the wildfires that have raged here for a week, forcing tens of thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
As temperatures peak at around 40C, fires restarting on their own are a constant threat. After 20 minutes or so, the one we are watching is brought under control, only for another to suddenly emerge on the opposite side of the road. "Leave now!" shouts an understandably irritable officer as he drives past.
The smoke is becoming thicker and more aggressive. Indeed, time to leave. Such is the vast scale of the infernos ravaging France's south-western Gironde region, that it is not always obvious what direction the smoke is coming from. It simply descends as you travel west from Bordeaux along empty roads and through deserted villages.
The soil is powder-like and covered in endless pinecones and dried leaves. It explains how the wildfires have spread at the rate they have.
The BriefWire