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12 August 2022

European firefighters join battle to stop rampaging French wildfires

12 August 2022

Firefighters from across Europe started arriving in France on Friday to help battle several wildfires, including a giant blaze ravaging pine forests in the south-west of the country.

The firefighters’ brigade from the Gironde region said the spread of the forest fire was limited overnight due to little wind but conditions for containing the blaze remained “unfavourable” due to hot, dry weather.

This photo provided by the fire brigade of the Gironde region SDIS 33, (Departmental fire and rescue service 33) firefighters tackle a blaze near Saint-Magne, south of Bordeaux, southwestern France, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (SDIS 33 via AP)

The fire in the Gironde region and neighbouring Landes has burned more than 74 square kilometres (29 square miles) since Tuesday and led to the evacuation of at least 10,000 people.

More than 360 firefighters and 100 specialised land vehicles were sent from Germany, Romania, Poland and Austria. They are joining over 1,000 French firefighters already on site. Greece sent two specialised Canadair aircraft.

Sweden deployed two firefighting Air Tractor planes to help battle separate wildfires in the Brittany region, in western France.

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