Tens of Thousands in Southern France Evacuated Due to Forest Fire

JAKARTA - As many as 12,000 people were evacuated on Tuesday as forest fires in the Pyrenees Orientales Department, southern France, continued to spread, according to a report by BFMTV television station.

Local authorities told BFMTV that 12,000 residents had to be evacuated due to the widespread fire in the commune of Trevillach, which forced the deployment of around 800 firefighters.

The local prefect said that forest fires in the Pyrenees Orientales have not yet been brought under control, after burning an area of about 4,900 hectares of land.

"We hope to control the fire as quickly as possible, but I think we won't be able to do it today given the weather conditions are still the same as yesterday," said the head of the Pyrenees Orientales Fire and Rescue Service, Colonel Eric Belgioino, as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, July 7.

The risk of forest fires is currently at a "very high" level in three departments and "high" in 61 other departments. Meanwhile, an orange-status heat wave warning was in effect in 61 departments on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to range from 35 to 38 degrees Celsius.

In the southwest of France, temperatures are expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius.

The French national meteorological agency said the heat wave is expected to continue until the end of the week.

"Almost 14,500 hectares of land have burned since the start of the season, almost three times as much as in the same period last year," Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu told the National Assembly on Monday.