France wildfire risk remains 'extremely high' despite slight weather improvement
Despite a slight improvement in weather, France's Interior Minister warns that wildfire risk remains extremely high due to persistent drought and fast-spreading blazes across the country.
France's wildfire risk remains "extremely high" despite a slight improvement in weather conditions, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday, citing persistent drought and fast-spreading blazes across the country.
Nunez noted that higher humidity and weaker winds had helped conditions, but authorities still dealt with 26 fires nationwide on Wednesday alone. He warned that vegetation remained highly combustible due to prolonged drought.
Last week, France faced several major wildfires, particularly in the south and west, which destroyed thousands of hectares of land. Although the situation has stabilized somewhat, the minister cautioned that the risk remains high and firefighters remain on high alert.
Experts say climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires as drier and hotter weather becomes more frequent. France has experienced several devastating wildfires in recent years, prompting calls for strengthened preventive measures.
