Heat, wind threaten to intensify France fires

Paris [France], July 30: Firefighters battling a massive wildfire on France's south-western coast worked on Wednesday to prevent the blaze from spreading again as a new heatwave brought extreme temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.
Authorities warned that temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius, falling humidity and wind gusts of up to 45 kilometres per hour could cause the fire to spread and reignite smouldering hotspots between the Atlantic coast and the city of Bordeaux.
Thunderstorms are forecast from Thursday.
Overnight and into Wednesday morning, firefighters tackled several flare-ups within the area already scarred by the fire, according to Bordeaux authorities and the fire service.
New outbreaks were reported in three locations, including near the Souge military installation near Bordeaux. At one stage, the flames came within a few hundred metres of the military training ground, where the army had previously created firebreaks as a precaution. Around 2,200 firefighters have been deployed to battle the blaze, which has affected about 42,000 hectares, an area more than four times the size of Paris. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune