France: Wildfires in the southwest of the country reach critical levels as evacuations continue

Paris, July 26 (KUNA) -- French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez affirmed on Sunday that the situation regarding wildfires in southwestern France remains “extremely dangerous,” as firefighting teams continue their efforts to contain the rapidly spreading blazes, following the evacuation of more than 300,000 people from affected areas.

Meanwhile, in southwestern France, Thomas Cazenave, mayor of Bordeaux, confirmed that city authorities currently have no plans to evacuate the city, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but remain prepared to handle any developments. Speaking to journalists during a visit to one of the shelters for fire evacuees, Cazenave stated, “We are on full alert and ready for any emergency,” emphasizing that there are no immediate plans to evacuate the city’s population of approximately 270,000 residents.

He clarified that the fires remain concentrated to the south of the city and have not advanced toward the western part of the Bordeaux metropolitan area. He added that flames are between 25 and 30 kilometers from central Bordeaux and about 15 kilometers from the urban area near the town of Martignas-sur-Jalle. He noted that Martignas-sur-Jalle, a town of approximately 8,000 inhabitants located on the western edge of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, was evacuated as a precautionary measure. (End) m.b. / n.s.a.