New Wildfire in France's Landes Region Forces Evacuation of Hundreds
A new wildfire in southwestern France's Landes region has forced the evacuation of 525 residents and is threatening the village of Luglon. More than 500 firefighters and six aircraft are battling the blaze.
French authorities have ordered the evacuation of 525 people from a village in the Landes region of southwestern France after a new wildfire broke out in pine forests. The fire started on Thursday and has already destroyed about 1,100 hectares of woodland. By Friday, it had come within two kilometers of the center of Luglon, according to regional official Gilles Clavreul.
Clavreul said the situation is not favorable, with 500 firefighters working to contain the flames, supported by six aircraft. Police escorted residents from the village to safety, and roads leading north and south were closed to traffic.
The blaze is burning near an area that has already suffered severe wildfires this summer. Luglon is located roughly 100 kilometers southeast of Arcachon Bay, a popular tourist destination where two large fires earlier this summer devastated more than 50,000 hectares. Those fires prompted the evacuation of as many as 220,000 people in late July.
The region has been experiencing repeated heatwaves, and temperatures are expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon. France is experiencing an unprecedented wildfire season, and the total area burned so far this year has already surpassed the previous record set in 2022. The Landes area is covered with pine forests that become extremely flammable when dry.
