Brits travelling to France have been warned to follow guidance from local authorities due to a large and ‘uncontained’ forest fire in the southwest of the country. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its travel advice for France on Thursday (July 14).
The FCDO said: “A large, uncontained forest fire is currently underway in southwest France near the Dune du Pilat. You should follow the instructions of local authorities and call 112 if you need emergency assistance. If you need urgent consular assistance you should call 01 44 51 31 00.”
Providing more advice on French forest fires in general, the FCDO says those travelling to southern France and staying in a high-risk area should familiarise themselves with the local safety and emergency procedure. It warns that areas may be evacuated and roads closed for safety reasons.
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According to Reuters, hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes with more than 1,000 firefighters have been battling wildfires in the region. Thousands of hectares of land have been burned by the blazes, which have been able to spread due to the current heatwave and strong winds.
Countries across Europe are experiencing soaring temperatures which is causing a surge in wildfires. Portugal is currently in a state of contingency due to high temperatures and wildfires, with strict measures being put in place to reduce the risk of fire.
Spain, Croatia and Turkey have all experienced wildfires in recent days as a heatwave takes hold of Europe. It comes as the UK is set to see temperatures as high as 40C.
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