Firefighters in France were battling two ferocious wildfires with nearly 1,400 hectares of forest razed in the south-western Gironde department on the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux, reports RFI.
Five camp sites and more than 6,200 campers were evacuated around the Dune du Pilat early Wednesday after wind conditions shifted during the night.
“The area gets easily congested and given the high temperatures, it was preferable to evacuate overnight rather than during the day,” Lieutenant Colonel David Annotel of the National Federation of Firemen told BFMTV.
Parched ground, the result of drought, contributed to unfavourable weather conditions that saw the blaze rapidly spread.
Elsewhere in Gironde, more than 500 people were evacuated in Landiras and Guillos as flames moved closer to the towns.