1,200 Evacuated as French Wildfires Spread

Around 1,200 people were evacuated from a campground near a beach in northern France on Wednesday because of two wildfires in the Pas-de-Calais department near the English Channel. One of the fires has been brought under control, according to the local prefecture.

The second fire, however, is spreading unchecked southward because of difficult-to-access terrain. The evacuated tourists and campers have been temporarily moved to an emergency shelter.

France and the rest of Europe are experiencing an unusually active wildfire season. A relatively wet winter contributed to the rapid spread of the fires by allowing dense vegetation to grow before it dried out during intense summer heat waves.

French Environment Minister Monique Barbut warned on Wednesday that this year’s heat waves could result in as much as €15bn in direct and indirect costs.

(Reuters, Max)