France Mass Fire: About 520 firefighters remain on the ground in the area.
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A massive fire that has devastated 650 hectares (1,600 acres) and forced people to evacuate in southern France has been brought under control, the fire agency said on Saturday.
Fire agency spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Eric Agrinier said up to 950 aircraft-supported firefighting planes had been deployed in the area south of the Gard but the “critical period” had passed.
“For now, the fire is under control. This means we don’t think it can spread any further,” he added.
About 520 firefighters remain on the ground in the area, he said, 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Montpellier and the Mediterranean coast.
The spokesman said units will continue to handle the edges of the flames, meter by meter, and are monitoring to avoid any risk of the fire getting worse with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). , wind and low humidity are risk factors.
Described by emergency responders as a “major fire”, the blaze started near the village of Bordezac and forced evacuations from nearby Besseges and other settlements on Thursday night.
The local governor’s office said about 100 people had been placed in motels and restaurants in the area.
Like large swaths of the country, southeastern France has suffered from drought this year, increasing the risk of fires.
During an unusual heatwave last month, about 600 hectares were burned in a fire started by shelling an army artillery training school near the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.
France’s civil security services advised that citizens be extra careful until Sunday in all “Mediterranean region”, “because of the very high risk of fire”.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the syndication feed.)
