Firefighters Battle Wildfires as Morocco Heat Wave Threatens France

Firefighters are haunted by the rise of hot air from Morocco. According to Météo-France, they dreaded Monday due to a new heat wave, due to an upwelling of hot air from Morocco. A justified fear. Since September 12, a fire has ravaged 1,800 hectares in Gironde, partly in the municipality of Saumos, a village located between the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, near the seaside resort of Lacanau, and the Bordeaux agglomeration which has broken heat records, reports Courrier picard. In total, four houses were burned, as well as some barns and vehicles. Faced with the scale of the fires, about 540 people have been evacuated since Monday, in the town center of Saumos and the hamlets of the neighboring commune of Sainte-Hélène.

On Tuesday, some additional homes and a ranch were evacuated. Other evacuations could take place. "We are worried, because the head of the fire is in Saint-Hélène. The announced weather seems bad with the wind, we are putting a maximum of resources on this head of fire to drown it," said the mayor of this municipality, Lionel Montillaud. For now, "we have evacuated 20 households, we have a house that has been burned with three people who find themselves without a home. We welcomed them in the gymnasium. Most were welcomed by their family in other municipalities, with friends, in local cottages. Eight people slept on tatami mats. Other municipalities are sending us beds in case," the elected official continued.

An investigation is underway to determine the origin of this new fire.