"It hasn't rained in three months, the ground is extremely dry," writes Sophie, who lives in Bordeaux in the hardest-hit region, in a comment to TT.
"Our forest consists mostly of pine trees, so it is extremely flammable, and the firefighters do not have the resources required and the military is only now arriving."
Bison Futé, the government agency that monitors roads in France, is urging people to avoid the roads in the region due to the fire.
There are also fires in other parts of the country, including in the Mediterranean department of Le Var.
Ann Lindgren and her husband Mattias bought a house in Carcès in southeastern France last winter. The village was not affected, but when they arrived they were met by evacuees from the neighboring village of Cotignac.
"I almost get goosebumps," says Ann Lindgren about the solidarity they have encountered in recent days.
It turned out that the villagers had not only opened their homes to those whose houses had burned down, but had also collected everything from dog and cat food to bed linen. And at the local bakery, the staff had worked all night to distribute baguettes to the firefighters.
Nature is burning up
The fact that there are now fires in several places in the immediate area is nothing that worries them directly, even though they were woken up last night by up to five local alarm messages on their mobile phones about ongoing fires.
We bought it because there are several nearby rivers and other bodies of water, so there was a safety concern from the beginning. But you mourn all the beautiful nature that is now burning down.
They themselves are taking extra care of the affected animals. During the fire, dogs as well as cows and goats have been lost in the chaos.
Stray dogs are welcome here. And also people who need a place to sleep. We will open up our home to them.
“Stone houses completely destroyed”
Peter Bonde, who has lived in Cotignac since 2017, says that about fifty houses in the small village have been destroyed in the violent fires. His own house has survived and he is now busy helping his neighbors.
You become aware of the enormous forces that exist in a fire, especially when the wind whips in. Even stone houses have been completely destroyed and burned to the ground.
He too testifies to the great cohesion.
The restaurants are offering food to everyone, and those who lost their houses are staying in hotels for free. And when the exhausted firefighters walk through the village, everyone applauds. There is an amazing sense of solidarity.
