France’s battle to contain ferocious wildfires in the southwestern Gironde region entered a second week on Tuesday, with more than 19,000 hectares of pine forest already reduced to ashes. While the ecological and economic damage is immense, some conservationists see the fires as an opportunity to adapt Europe’s largest artificial forest to the challenges of global warming.
French authorities have deployed much of the country’s fire-fighting capacity to curb fierce blazes that have raged since July 12, fuelled by swirling winds and a scorching heatwave.
