Wildfires Sweep Southern France, Forcing Evacuations

Hundreds of firefighters are battling major wildfires in southern France, where fast-moving flames have forced the evacuation of residents amid dry conditions and strong winds.

The largest blaze is burning across the departments of Hérault and Aude, consuming about 800 hectares by late evening, according to local authorities. Officials said the fire has been contained in some areas but remains out of control.

Around 200 residents in the communities of Bize-Minervois and Mailhac were either evacuated or ordered to remain indoors for safety reasons. Fire crews have also responded to two smaller wildfires near Marseille in Rognac and Lançon-Provence.

Emergency services have deployed firefighting aircraft to support ground operations as rugged terrain, temperatures near 30°C and strong winds continue to hamper containment efforts.

The fires come days after an intense heatwave swept across Europe and amid forecasts of another period of extreme temperatures in the coming days.