Wildfires burn nearly 50,000 hectares across France

Nearly 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires in France during what authorities describe as an unprecedented fire season, Report informs.

Julien Marion, director general of civil security, told RTL that France is facing an exceptionally severe wildfire season. While weather conditions are expected to improve, he warned that the fires are unlikely to be extinguished quickly.

"We are experiencing a completely unprecedented fire season. We expect weather conditions to improve, but that does not mean the fires will go out. There is still a great deal of work ahead," Marion said.

He added that no rainfall is forecast for the Gironde, Var, and Landes regions, with only dry thunderstorms expected. Although the wildfire risk has eased slightly compared with previous days, firefighting efforts remain challenging.

One of the largest blazes is burning in the southwestern department of Gironde, where about 20,000 people have been evacuated.

In response to the crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron requested assistance from European Union partners through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. According to Macron, France is set to receive two Croatia-operated Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, and two heavy Black Hawk helicopters provided by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.