After the heatwave in Europe, forest fires have intensified in southern France.

Following a severe heatwave in Europe, several major wildfires have broken out in France's Mediterranean regions. 2,000 firefighters have been deployed to extinguish the fires. Reuters reported this.

 

In the town of Canet-en-Roussillon, near the Spanish border, warehouses and a yacht in the marina have burned. Thick smoke has spread along the coast. According to local authorities, 1,500 people have been evacuated from campsites in the town, and Perpignan airport has been temporarily closed.

 

Earlier in the day, firefighters brought two fires on the outskirts of Marseille, France's second-largest city, under control. However, efforts to extinguish a large fire in the Aude department are ongoing.

 

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held an emergency meeting in Marseille. The country's meteorological service has warned that another extreme heatwave may occur next week.

 

The Prime Minister stated that since the beginning of the current season, 8,700 hectares of land have burned in France. Of this, 1,200 hectares were damaged solely as a result of Wednesday's fires.

 

The World Meteorological Organization had previously warned that the record-breaking heatwave observed in Western Europe at the end of June would further increase the risk of wildfires due to prolonged hot weather, low humidity, and dry vegetation cover.

 

Four helicopters have been deployed to extinguish the fire in Canet-en-Roussillon, and three Canadair firefighting aircraft are on standby.

 

In the Aude department, the fire has covered nearly 900 hectares. Winds blowing at 70 kilometers per hour are complicating the work of nearly 700 firefighters.

 

According to estimates from French health authorities, the previous heatwave may have caused at least 1,000 additional deaths in the country.