The large fires declared near Bordeaux force the evacuation of more than 14,000 people

MADRID, 17 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

More than 14,000 people have been evacuated in recent hours due to the two large fires declared this week near the French city of Bordeaux, which have also gained in intensity in recent hours.

The outbreaks declared in Landiras and La Teste have already destroyed 10,500 hectares since last Tuesday, fueled by the high temperatures and strong prevailing winds in southern Europe, in the midst of a heat wave that has claimed hundreds of lives in Spain and Portugal.

Right now a total of approximately 1,200 firefighters are fighting the flames after a long night that has left much of the contingent exhausted. At noon this Saturday, the situation has not improved, according to sources from the Girondal prefecture to the regional newspaper 'Sud Ouest'. "The situation is still very unfavorable," they lamented from the prefecture.

In Landiras, the Girondin Federation for the Defense of Forests Against Fires (DFCI) and forestry work companies continue to create firebreaks to limit the spread of flames, while in La Teste firefighters continue to protect summer camps on the right flank and the houses on the left flank.

Temperatures have already reached 40º in several areas of the country, according to the French meteorological service (Météo-France), which has placed 37 departments in orange status. Monday promises to be "warmer for the west of the country", according to Météo-France, which forecasts that 40º will still be reached in Brittany, Lower Normandy, Aquitaine and western Occitanie.