France’s wildfire situation has shown signs of improvement on Monday, with thousands of residents and tourists preparing to return to evacuated areas in the south-west, even as firefighters remained on alert amid high temperatures, low humidity and a new risk of violent thunderstorms.
The largest blaze, in the Gironde department near Bordeaux, has been contained after burning through around 42,000 hectares in 11 days. The fire is no longer advancing, although crews are still tackling hotspots that could continue smouldering for months in the area’s dry, peaty soil.
