France: 900 firefighters battle mega-fire in Gard region

More than 900 firefighters backed by aircraft were deployed on Friday to battle a massive blaze in France’s southern Gard region that burned 600 hectares (1,500 acres) overnight. “This fire is far from being done, there are fronts in hard-to-reach areas that we haven’t tackled and that are advancing freely,” said Eric Agrinier, a senior member of the fire service. “It’s going to be a feat of endurance.” Working into the night after the blaze began late Thursday, firefighters set backfires to protect inhabited areas. Described by emergency responders as a "mega-fire", the blaze started near the village of Bordezac and forced evacuations from nearby Besseges and other settlements on Thursday night. The local prefect's office said around 100 people had to be put up in holiday homes and restaurants in the area, which is about 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of Montpellier and the Mediterranean coast.

The Gard region fire service said Friday morning that 13 firefighters were slightly injured. As well as personnel on the ground, two planes have been dumping water since the early morning. Like large swathes of the country, southeast France has suffered from drought this year, increasing the risk of fires. During an unseasonable heatwave last month, around 600 hectares were burned in a fire started by shelling on an army artillery training range near the Mediterranean port city Marseille. Four houses were destroyed near southern city Arles and 250 firefighters were called out to a brushfire in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts. Although several other fires began in southern France on Thursday, most were put out before nightfall. The fire service said thousands of hectares of heavily wooded land were under threat, as winds gusting at up to 80 km/h (50 mph) fanned the flames through the dried-out trees. Wind is “the worst enemy” of firefighters, Lieutenant Colonel Agrinier said.