Around 12,000 people have been evacuated from the south-west of France as the country battles ongoing wildfires days after two firefighters died near Bordeaux airport, French media
The report indicates that around 12,000 people have been evacuated from the south-west of France as the country battles ongoing wildfires days after two firefighters died near Bordeaux airport, French media reported.
It further notes that the Gironde region government stated more than 2,000 hectares (4,000 acres) of land have been destroyed.
The use of internal combustion and electric engines have been banned in predominantly forested areas, and a number of roads have been closed. No injuries have been reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile in Italy, authorities have paid tribute to a firefighter who died tackling a wildfire in San Cataldo, as Sicily President Renato Schifani wished a “speedy recovery” to another involved in the same operation.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi paid tribute to late firefighter Alessandro Marchi who he stated died “in service to the community”.
“He will not be forgotten,” he stated in a post on X.
In an update on Wednesday, head of the Sicilian Civil Protection Salvo Cocina stated there had been more than 350 fires on the island including ten major ones which led to precautionary evacuations.
He stated the fires had human causes – adding that firefighting has become a social and public order problem.
Meanwhile, in France, the AFP news agency reported that 10,000 tourists were among those evacuated.
France has been paying tribute to the two firefighters who died earlier in the week. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez posted photos from an event that took place on Wednesday – the day after their deaths were announced.
He stated the moment was filled with “immense emotion” as he expressed “infinite gratitude” and “unwavering support” to their families.
The Gironde region remains under a red alert, with some leisure sites in exposed forest areas to be closed on Thursday afternoon and evening.
The area is one of several French departments recently ravaged by wildfires during a series of unusual and prolonged heatwaves that have swept across Europe this summer.
Madrid has also been impacted by fires, but overnight most evacuated residents were told they can return to their homes – with the exception of one area in Villa del Prado.
