Paris, July 02 (QNA) - A large wildfire broke out in southern France on Wednesday, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate, as firefighters continued their efforts to contain the blaze, which was fueled by strong winds and drought conditions.
French emergency authorities said that hundreds of firefighters were deployed to battle the fire in the Herault and Aude departments, while firefighting aircraft were mobilized due to the difficulty of accessing the affected areas in the region's rugged terrain.
According to the Aude department administration, the fire had burned around 800 hectares of land by the evening. Authorities said the blaze had been contained in some areas but had not yet been brought fully under control.
آ  Temperatures reaching approximately 30 degrees Celsius, along with strong winds and extremely dry vegetation, contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Authorities announced the evacuation of a number of residents, while others were instructed to remain indoors for their safety, bringing the total number of people affected by the emergency measures to about 200 in the towns of Pouzols-Minervois and Mailhac.
Firefighting teams also reported two smaller wildfires in Rognac and Lancon-Provence near Marseille. These fires come a year after major wildfires swept through the Corbieres region and follow a severe heatwave that affected large parts of Europe, amid forecasts of continued high temperatures in the coming days. (QNA)