Heatwave: Sky fills with smoke as French firefighters battle blaze in Gironde

Clouds of dark smoke billowed through the skies of Gironde, France, as firefighters battled a forest blaze amid scorching temperatures.

The fire, which flared up again on Tuesday, 9 August, has forced 10,000 locals to evacuate the area. It had previously burned in the area in July, ripping through 14,000 hectares (34595 acres).

More than 1,000 French firefighters are tackling the fire, with assistance expected from German, Polish and Romanian firefighters in the coming days.

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