Over 200 firefighters battle blaze in southern France

A fast-moving wildfire in southern France forced evacuations and prompted over 200 firefighters to battle the blaze. The fire ignited around 12:45 pm (1045 GMT) in the Lozere region, approximately 140km (85 miles) northwest of Montpellier. Initially, officials believed it could have been sparked by a vehicle fire on a local road.

By late afternoon, the flames had scorched about 153 hectares (370 acres) of woodland, with the fire's head remaining inaccessible. Four Canadair water bombers and two Dash aircraft assisted the 270 firefighters from Lozere and neighboring departments. Two homes threatened by the flames were saved, and two hamlets in La Tieule were evacuated as a precaution, affecting about 20 residents.

Local fire officer Marc Toulouse described the area as having an extremely dry climate, exacerbated by an unusual drought. French authorities are assessing damage from a series of fires, with the south of France facing its largest wildfire since 1949 in the southwest Gironde region.