More than a thousand firefighters battled through the night to try and get a huge wildfire under control near the city of Bordeaux in southwest France. By Thursday morning nearly 6,800 hectares of pine forest went up in smoke after the fire broke out two days before in the Gironde area. "We fought all night," said Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Mendousse of the Gironde fire and rescue service. "It is a fire that spread extremely quickly the first night, and which progressed last night toward the north, towards the town of Belin-Béliet." Winds forecast for Thursday are expected to push the fire in yet another direction, and Mendousse says firefighters have "learned to be cautious" when it comes to making predictions. So far, nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, but no more evacuations are thought to be likely at this time. Seventeen homes have been destroyed by flames. France's interior ministry has promised to send more personnel to tackle the wildfire, as well as planes and helicopters that can drop water on the flames. The A63 motorway from Bordeaux to Bayonne has been cut off in both directions, as smoke presents a risk for drivers. The regional health agency warned that the smoke from the fire -- visible for dozens of kilometers -- was "comparable to that of an intense pollution peak" and recommended people wear protective masks. The Gironde region was hit in July by major wildfires that forced the evacuation of more than 39,000 people, including residents and tourists. France is this week in the midst of its fourth heat wave of the year as the country faces what the government warned is its worst drought on record. Temperatures in the south of the country are expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius again on Wednesday. — Euronews
