Wildfires tore through the Gironde region of southwestern France on Tuesday (August 9), turning the sky the colour of flames.
France, like the rest of Europe, has been struggling this summer with successive heatwaves and its worst drought on record. Dozens of wildfires are ablaze across the country, including at least eight major ones.
Wildfires continued through the region on Wednesday (August 10), destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents, some of whom had clambered onto rooftops as the flames got closer.
In the nearby village of Hostens, police had earlier been door to door telling residents to leave as the fire advanced and firefighters said more evacuations were likely.
Numerous small roads, and parts of a highway, were closed.
(Reuters)
