Weeks of record-breaking heat and fast-moving wildfires have scorched large swaths of France.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said in a statement on Friday that 116,085 hectares of land had burned in wildfires across France this year, amounting to the country's worst wildfire season on record.
Around 250,000 people have been evacuated in the affected areas of the Gironde and Landes regions of southwest France since the wildfires began in mid-July, France's Interior Ministry said.
Record-breaking heat waves across Europe and prolonged drought conditions have contributed to the severity of the damage.
Photos show plumes of smoke visible from space, burned remains of neighborhoods, and France's continued firefighting efforts.
A satellite photo of Pontevès, France, taken on July 19, before the wildfires broke out, showed the valleys, vineyards, and landscapes that have made it a tourist destination.
This satellite photo from July 21 showed thick smoke clouds from active wildfires engulfing the region.
On the ground, firefighters in Pontevès deployed hose teams to put out remaining flames and prevent reignition in the blackened forests.
Before the wildfires, a satellite image taken near Le Porge in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, on July 21 showed parts of the coastal village and surrounding pine forests.
Just two days later, satellite imagery showed wildfires producing plumes of smoke.
Le Porge was devastated by the wildfires, its streets strewn with the charred remnants of homes and vehicles.
Smoke from nearby wildfires cast a yellow haze over the French city of Bordeaux, known for its Gothic architecture and red wine.
The Bordeaux Exhibition Center was converted into an emergency shelter for evacuees, offering food, medical care, and psychological services.
Smoke-filled skies glowed orange over Arès in the Gironde department in southwestern France.
Over 250,000 firefighters continue to work across France to contain and extinguish the flames, the French Interior Ministry said.
The French government also deployed aircraft, including Canadair water bombers, Dash 8 aerial firefighters, and French Air Force A400M military transport planes, to aid firefighters on the ground.
Read next
Talia Lakritz is a Life correspondent at Business Insider covering politics and power through a lifestyle and visual storytelling lens. She has reported from the White House as well as military installations, mansions, and museums across the country, bringing readers inside the people, places, and systems that influence American life through immersive features.Previously, she wrote for The New York Jewish Week and SciShow Space.Talia holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Barnard College of Columbia University and ordination as an interfaith minister from One Spirit Learning Alliance. She hopes to one day visit all 50 states and all 14 public presidential libraries.Talia can be found on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.Politics and power:
- Before-and-after photos show changes Trump has made to the White House decor, so far
- Melania Trump is keeping a low profile. Her outfits are helping.
- Melania Trump's White House portrait photographer says the photo 'shows a woman who's ready to embrace her position'
- The Midwest is having a moment
Visual features:
- World War II museum ships suddenly feel less like history after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship
- I visited the largest military aviation museum in the world with over 350 aircraft and missiles on display. Here are the coolest things I saw.
- I spent the night on a World War II submarine Airbnb that can sleep 65 people in sailors' bunks. Take a look inside.
- This 27-room Gilded Age mansion is more than just a display of wealth and power. Take a look inside Ballantine House.
Human interest:
- Iceland only has one rabbi. In a world filled with hate, he leads with kindness.
- Inside the Post-Roe Future: Thirteen conversations from the front lines
- Airlines break thousands of wheelchairs per year, leaving disabled passengers stranded. Activists and politicians are fighting for change.
- A Palestinian restaurant in New York hosted a free Shabbat dinner. Over 1,300 people showed up.
