Two districts of La Teste-de-Buch, in the Arcachon basin, in Gironde, were evacuated preventively because of the fires.
Some 8,000 people are being “preventively evacuated” Monday from two districts of La Teste-de-Buch, in the Arcachon basin, in Gironde, a department hit by two gigantic fires since Tuesday, the prefecture announced. “The fire has just jumped runway 214”, south of this city of 26,000 inhabitants, “unstable wind”, indicates a press release.
The two districts concerned are that of Miquelots (about 5,000 people), in the south of the city, as well as that further west of Pyla-sur-Mer (about 3,000 people). “La Teste is not threatened by the flames. On the other hand, the wind is turning, the districts are really in the process of being found under smoke”, explained to AFP the lieutenant-colonel of Sdis 33 Arnaud Mendousse. “The fumes are toxic, it’s a matter of public health to protect the population,” said the firefighters’ spokesperson.
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On the other focus of the fires, located further east inland, 3,500 people also evacuated their homes at midday in the municipalities of Landiras, Budos and Balizac, according to a previous press release from the prefecture.