LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — A wildfire covering an area four times the size of Paris remained uncontained in southwest France on Wednesday as temperatures were forecast to reach 40 C (104 F), threatening to erase firefighters’ overnight gains.Authorities in the Gironde region said the blaze had not spread further during a calm night, but warned that forecast heat and winds could cause the flames to surge again.At the command center in Lège, firefighters bent over maps spread across a car hood as commanders tracked three danger zones: northern Cap-Ferret, the wooded corridor around Marcheprime, Cestas and Saint-Jean-d’Illac, and a military site near Martignas, where a significant new outbreak required a major deployment. More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remain mobilized, supported by crews from across France and European partners.
“We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said.The fire forced 220,000 people to flee at its peak. Tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warned that the danger had not yet passed.The extreme heat strips moisture from vegetation and drives humidity down, turning grasses, brush and forest litter into faster-burning fuel. Winds can lift embers over firebreaks and ignite new fronts beyond the reach of crews.
