Doha: French authorities announced the evacuation of nearly 5,000 people from several areas in the south of the country as firefighters battle a rapidly spreading wildfire amid a new heatwave. Prefect of the Pyr©n©es-Orientales region Pierre Regnault de la Mothe said, “The wildfires of exceptional proportions currently burning in the Pyr©n©es-Orientales require the massive deployment of our fire service’s resources, in addition to those of the internal security forces and all government agencies.”

According to Qatar News Agency, local media reported that the evacuations took place in a mountainous range west of Perpignan, noting that the fire had consumed 1,650 hectares of land. The French national meteorological service warned of an increased risk of wildfires and issued its highest-level red alert for seven regions in the southeast of the country. It also noted that 41 additional regions also face elevated wildfire risks.

These developments come as France experiences a heatwave that has lasted for around 10 days, during which it has recorded exceptionally high temperatures.