In the south of France, several wildfires have been raging since Sunday. These are believed to have been caused by smoldering coals that fell from a barbecue. A hundred people have been evacuated. France is experiencing a heatwave, which increases the risk of wildfires.
There are a total of seven different fires in the Aude department. Among other things, the highway between Toulouse and Narbonne has been closed. A campsite in Bizanet and an abbey in Fontfroide have also been evacuated. Approximately 400 hectares of land are reportedly on fire.
According to French media, hundreds of firefighters and eight water bombers have been deployed to bring the fires under control. So far, this has not been successful.
The fire was caused by a barbecue that was on a trailer and was not properly extinguished. The smoldering coals fell off the barbecue and landed in the roadside. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested.
Currently, France, like other Southern European countries, is experiencing a heatwave. Most of France is under code orange, and temperatures are rising above 40 degrees Celsius. Wildfires are also raging in Spain, Corsica, and Turkey. In Izmir, Turkey, more than a thousand people are working to extinguish the fires.