Huge wildfire hits tourist hotspot in France as 500 firefighters battle fast-moving inferno and 20,000 people evacuated

A TERRIFYING wildfire has devastated a popular tourist hotspot in France as firefighters work desperately to bring the flames under control. More than 20,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires spread across region of Gironde in southwest France. Fire crews battled raging flames in southwest France Credit: AFP Thousands were evacuated in the chaos Credit: AFP Local officials say some 3,400 acres of land have been destroyed around the Bay of Arcachon. Many of those making desperate attempts to flee the area overnight were visitors to campsites on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The Gironde prefect, Sophie Brocas, said 10,000 visitors were among those evacuated from campsites overnight. Miraculously no injuries have been reported, but some roads have been closed. Residents reported smoke filling the skies Credit: AFP No injuries have been reported Credit: AFP Gironde fire service chief Marc Vermeulen said: “The work was relentless all night”, warning that temperatures were still rising and the wind was getting stronger. “It’ll peak at 20:00. Then we’ll have to deal with … highly variable winds so we’re currently tackling a fire that is going to be difficult to predict and that’s why we cannot relax our guard,” he continued. Local resident Yassamina de Freitas, 19, said she noticed thick clouds of smoke and the smell of burning on Wednesday lunchtime. By the afternoon “Ash… [and] half-burned tree bark” were falling, she said. Most read in The Sun The sky became “very dark” and the smoke was getting “thicker and thicker”, she added. In a mad dash, Yassamina and her family were evacuated to a neighbouring town but left behind two of their cats and four chickens which they couldn’t find in the chaos. “I could see the number of hectares burned rising steadily,” Yassamina said. This comes after several French departments were ravaged by wildfires during a series of heatwaves that have swept across Europe this summer. Wildfires have been sweeping across Europe Credit: AFP Temperatures are set to climb again as authorities prepare for the worst Credit: AFP French President Emmanuel Macron said the country “has never faced so many outbreaks of fire across the country since the end of World War II. Two firefighters were killed earlier this week fighting a fire close to Bordeaux Airport. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez paid tribute to the pair, expressing “infinite gratitude” for their ultimate sacrifice and “unwavering support” to their families. Elsewhere in Europe, harrowing footage showed fire crews battling towering flames in the Guadalajara of Spain, where 26,000 hectares of land were torched. Spain has been gripped by a spate of wildfires this summer, including one of its deadliest in memory. Seven Brits – including a 93-year-old woman – died in a blaze that consumed 7,000 hectares of land in the southern province of Almeria. Now authorities must brace for another rise in temperatures and more extreme heat. Temperatures are expected to soar to as high as 47C in the Murcia region of Spain in what the country’s newspapers have dubbed “the mother of all heatwaves”. An urgent warning has also been issued for holidaying Brits jetting off to Greece this summer as highs of 43C are set to hit the country. The Mediterranean nation will face its hottest days of the year so far – and visitors from the UK have been urged to travel with caution. Doctors have urged people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight, and wear loose clothing while also avoiding booze if possible. As a precautionary measure, several Greek cities have opened air-conditioned halls and public spaces for locals and holidaymakers to cool off. Comment now