Over 3,000 People Evacuated Due to Wildfire in France

Over 3,000 people have been evacuated as a violent wildfire broke out Monday evening near Saint-Andre, a commune in the department of Pyrenees-Orientales in southern France.

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The fire broke out at about 5:15 p.m. local time, French news channel BFMTV reporte. According to the local firemen, some 530 hectares of land have been burnt, resulting in the evacuation of more than 3,000 people nearby.

Speaking at a press briefing at about 9 p.m., the prefect of the department Rodrigue Furcy said that the situation started to "improve", but the fire was "not completely" under control yet.

Over 500 firefighters have been deployed to contain the spread of the wildfire with the help of 13 planes and 3 helicopters, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin informed, recalling that 72,000 hectares of land were burned in France in 2022.

The text reads, "The fire in the Eastern Pyrenees. The situation is catastrophic but our president is on vacation."

Early Monday afternoon, the fire was fueled by unfavorable weather conditions. The Eastern Pyrenees have been suffering from a situation of severe drought for months.

Temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius have been recorded inside this area, whose capital Perpignan has had temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius accompanied by strong gusts of wind.

The situation has changed significantly this week. The winds have abated, with gusts of 20-40 kilometers per hour and an expected maximum temperature in Perpignan of 30 degrees.