Macron to visit wildfires site as blazes break out across France
As temperatures finally begin to fall after a record-breaking heatwave in France, forest fires still rage across the country. On Wednesday President Emmanuel Macron will visit the south west, where two major fires continue burn.
The French president is expected to meet members of the emergency services, local officials and volunteers as he tours the area on Wednesday alongside Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
In Gironde, south west France, there are currently two massive fires - in La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras - that have not yet been contained, though firefighters have managed to gain better control over the flames more thanks to improved weather conditions.
But fires have broken out across France, including in Brittany, Yvelines in the Paris region and Oise in north east France.
MAP Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
The heatwave has largely ended, with temperatures across the majority of the country dropping from above 40C on Tuesday to the mid-20s on Wednesday.
In Gorinde, local fire service spokesman Arnaud Mendousse told AFP that only 300 more hectares had burned since Tuesday evening. "Our assessment is generally positive. The situation improved overnight."
In total, nearly 20,600 hectares of forest have gone up in smoke - an area equivalent to almost twice the size of Paris.
This map from @BFMTV shows what 20,600 hectares represents in and around the city of Paris pic.twitter.com/EKSFJCRF8x
— Sophie Pedder (@PedderSophie) July 20, 2022
So far, 36,750 people have been evacuated from the area, and most do not know when it will be safe to return home.
"We are not in a position to tell people when they will be able to go home," said the sub-prefect of Arcachon, Ronan Léaustic, during his press conference.
Humans are not the only ones who have needed to be taken to safety. On Monday, the local authorities in Gironde ordered the emergency evacuation of a zoo in the Bassin d'Arcachon. While most animals were transported out of harms way, "a dozen unfortunately did not survive the heat and stress," according to the Environment Ministry.
The biggest blaze is in a thinly populated area south of Bordeaux near the village of Landiras, which is being treated by police as suspected arson.
A suspect remains in custody and will be charged or released on Wednesday.
A second fire has ripped through a popular ocean-front tourist area behind the Dune du Pilat, Europe's biggest sand dune, near the Bay of Arcachon.
It is thought to have been caused by a van that caught fire last week.
READ MORE: MAP: Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
Meanwhile, fires have also broken out in eastern France and notably in Brittany, where a fire is currently burning in Finistère, causing 500 people to be evacuated.
The fire broke as Brittany experienced record-breaking high temperatures and was placed for the first time on the 'red' alert for heat by Météo France. As of Tuesday morning, Finistère went into the 'orange' alert level as temperatures began to drop and storms picked up.
The local authorities in Finistère said the fire has slowed down and is in the process of being contained, citing 1725 hectares burned.
#incendie #Finistère
📣 Point sur l’incendie en cours – secteur Brasparts
À cette heure, la progression du feu se ralentit et la situation est en cours de maîtrise
🔸 Surface brûlée : 1725 hectares
1/3 pic.twitter.com/JGu2NMNVAr
— Préfet du Finistère (@Prefet29) July 20, 2022
The fire in Brittany burned along the mountains of Arrée, where a historic chapel - the church of St Michel de Brasparts - stands. Firefighters were able to save the church from burning, with flames stopping just a few metres from the structure.
Thanks to amazing work by the firefighters the iconic church of St Michel de Brasparts was saved during the this weeks fires in #Brittany Monts d'Arrée pic.twitter.com/3VEr8kMfzp
— John Duncan (@jduncanUKF) July 20, 2022
Smoke from the fires has drifted across large parts of France, with the départements of Gironde, Charente, Dordogne and Vienne particularly affected by poor air quality.
READ ALSO Is the smoke drifting from France's wildfires dangerous?
But the effects were felt as far away as Paris, as inhabitants of greater Paris Île-de-France region noticed a hazy sky and the smell of burning on Tuesday night.
According to Airparif, the agency that monitors air quality in the Île-de-France region, concentrations of particulate matter (air pollution) were in "in sharp increase," which is attributable to the fire in Gironde and to "local fires".
The AirParif particle pollution map below shows pollution coming from the south west.
🔥 Aussi fou que cela puisse paraître, les fumées des #incendies de #Gironde ont atteint #Paris et l'#ÎleDeFrance ce mardi soir et apportent une ambiance brumeuse ! Les modélisations de particules fines montrent bien la remontée de ce couloir de fumée ! 🌫 (carte @meteociel) pic.twitter.com/wbcMJo84w0
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) July 19, 2022
For residents in the Paris area, the fire in Rochefort-en-Yvelines, near Rambouillet, might be most to blame for the strong smell of smoke, however. The city also saw two fires on Tuesday - one at a restaurant in the 16th arrondissement and another in a vehicle in the 17th arrondisement. These are not likely to be the origins of the plume of pollution, however.
Across France, emergency services are asking people not to call if they simply smell smoke, only if they see a fire.
ℹ️ Il est possible que vous sentiez une odeur de brûlé en extérieur. Cette odeur provient certainement des feux en cours qui sévissent en France.
La raison ? La versatilité du vent.
☎️ 18 : n'encombrez pas les lignes de secours. N'appelez les pompiers qu'en cas de feu avéré. pic.twitter.com/X8FfjUCZO9
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) July 19, 2022
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The French president is expected to meet members of the emergency services, local officials and volunteers as he tours the area on Wednesday alongside Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
In Gironde, south west France, there are currently two massive fires - in La Teste-de-Buch and Landiras - that have not yet been contained, though firefighters have managed to gain better control over the flames more thanks to improved weather conditions.
But fires have broken out across France, including in Brittany, Yvelines in the Paris region and Oise in north east France.
MAP Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
The heatwave has largely ended, with temperatures across the majority of the country dropping from above 40C on Tuesday to the mid-20s on Wednesday.
In Gorinde, local fire service spokesman Arnaud Mendousse told AFP that only 300 more hectares had burned since Tuesday evening. "Our assessment is generally positive. The situation improved overnight."
In total, nearly 20,600 hectares of forest have gone up in smoke - an area equivalent to almost twice the size of Paris.
This map from @BFMTV shows what 20,600 hectares represents in and around the city of Paris pic.twitter.com/EKSFJCRF8x
— Sophie Pedder (@PedderSophie) July 20, 2022
So far, 36,750 people have been evacuated from the area, and most do not know when it will be safe to return home.
"We are not in a position to tell people when they will be able to go home," said the sub-prefect of Arcachon, Ronan Léaustic, during his press conference.
Humans are not the only ones who have needed to be taken to safety. On Monday, the local authorities in Gironde ordered the emergency evacuation of a zoo in the Bassin d'Arcachon. While most animals were transported out of harms way, "a dozen unfortunately did not survive the heat and stress," according to the Environment Ministry.
The biggest blaze is in a thinly populated area south of Bordeaux near the village of Landiras, which is being treated by police as suspected arson.
A suspect remains in custody and will be charged or released on Wednesday.
A second fire has ripped through a popular ocean-front tourist area behind the Dune du Pilat, Europe's biggest sand dune, near the Bay of Arcachon.
It is thought to have been caused by a van that caught fire last week.
READ MORE: MAP: Where are the main wildfires in France right now?
Meanwhile, fires have also broken out in eastern France and notably in Brittany, where a fire is currently burning in Finistère, causing 500 people to be evacuated.
The fire broke as Brittany experienced record-breaking high temperatures and was placed for the first time on the 'red' alert for heat by Météo France. As of Tuesday morning, Finistère went into the 'orange' alert level as temperatures began to drop and storms picked up.
The local authorities in Finistère said the fire has slowed down and is in the process of being contained, citing 1725 hectares burned.
#incendie #Finistère
— Préfet du Finistère (@Prefet29) July 20, 2022
📣 Point sur l’incendie en cours – secteur Brasparts
À cette heure, la progression du feu se ralentit et la situation est en cours de maîtrise
🔸 Surface brûlée : 1725 hectares
1/3 pic.twitter.com/JGu2NMNVAr
The fire in Brittany burned along the mountains of Arrée, where a historic chapel - the church of St Michel de Brasparts - stands. Firefighters were able to save the church from burning, with flames stopping just a few metres from the structure.
Thanks to amazing work by the firefighters the iconic church of St Michel de Brasparts was saved during the this weeks fires in #Brittany Monts d'Arrée pic.twitter.com/3VEr8kMfzp
— John Duncan (@jduncanUKF) July 20, 2022
Smoke from the fires has drifted across large parts of France, with the départements of Gironde, Charente, Dordogne and Vienne particularly affected by poor air quality.
READ ALSO Is the smoke drifting from France's wildfires dangerous?
But the effects were felt as far away as Paris, as inhabitants of greater Paris Île-de-France region noticed a hazy sky and the smell of burning on Tuesday night.
According to Airparif, the agency that monitors air quality in the Île-de-France region, concentrations of particulate matter (air pollution) were in "in sharp increase," which is attributable to the fire in Gironde and to "local fires".
The AirParif particle pollution map below shows pollution coming from the south west.
🔥 Aussi fou que cela puisse paraître, les fumées des #incendies de #Gironde ont atteint #Paris et l'#ÎleDeFrance ce mardi soir et apportent une ambiance brumeuse ! Les modélisations de particules fines montrent bien la remontée de ce couloir de fumée ! 🌫 (carte @meteociel) pic.twitter.com/wbcMJo84w0
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) July 19, 2022
For residents in the Paris area, the fire in Rochefort-en-Yvelines, near Rambouillet, might be most to blame for the strong smell of smoke, however. The city also saw two fires on Tuesday - one at a restaurant in the 16th arrondissement and another in a vehicle in the 17th arrondisement. These are not likely to be the origins of the plume of pollution, however.
Across France, emergency services are asking people not to call if they simply smell smoke, only if they see a fire.
ℹ️ Il est possible que vous sentiez une odeur de brûlé en extérieur. Cette odeur provient certainement des feux en cours qui sévissent en France.
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) July 19, 2022
La raison ? La versatilité du vent.
☎️ 18 : n'encombrez pas les lignes de secours. N'appelez les pompiers qu'en cas de feu avéré. pic.twitter.com/X8FfjUCZO9
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