French authorities evacuated more than 10 thousand people due to forest fires

More than 10,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France due to a rapidly spreading forest fire that has engulfed almost 2,000 hectares of territory west of Bordeaux, Reuters reported on July 23, citing local authorities.

According to the prefecture of the region, about 500 firefighters continue to fight the forest fire, and so far there have been no casualties. A forest fire broke out near the Bay of Arcachon, a popular tourist destination. Most of those evacuated from the area are tourists, the regional authorities noted.

At the end of June 2026, an abnormal heat wave swept Western European countries, primarily France and Spain, as well as Italy, Great Britain and Germany. In France, the hottest day in the history of meteorological observations was recorded — on June 24, the temperature reached 43.8 degrees Celsius in the commune of Palluo.

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According to the European mortality monitoring system on July 13, at least 10,000 people died in Europe due to the extreme heat that covered the western part of the continent at the end of June.

In the French region of Ile-de-France, including Paris, on July 10, the highest, red weather danger level was again declared due to extreme heat. According to forecasters, the air temperature in Paris may exceed 35 degrees next weekend.