France Evacuates 3,000 people near Spain Border due to Wildfires

 More than 3,000 people were evacuated by the officials in France from campgrounds near the Spanish border on Monday because of wildfires, as reported by French authorities.

The fire authorities said, “The villages of Saint-Andre, Sorede, and the town of Argeles are at risk.” On Monday, a fire broke out near the Spanish border. It started to spread over about 500 hectares in the Pyrenees-Orientales region.

According to French officials, a total of 550 firefighters and several aircraft had been dispatched to help people. They also warned that the number of evacuations could increase further.

The Pyrenees-Orientales, which border Spain, have been severely affected by a terrible drought. Extreme weather conditions have been affecting people.

Last week, a fire broke out in the south of Portbou, whose railway station connects Spain with France. It also ravaged some 435 hectares of land. Firefighters from Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia also started an investigation to find the cause of the fire. Around 130 people were evacuated. 

Santi Lleonart, a senior firefighter, reportedly said in a statement released by the Catalan government that the area's rugged terrain made it hard to stop the fire, causing panic among people. Portbou, close to the French-Spanish border, is also home to a significant railroad hub used by the networks of the two European countries. 

The authorities said that the flame was “active" and that their top aim was to stop it from expanding on the neighboring tourist destination of Llanca to the south. The statement was also posted on the website of the Catalan regional government. The Catalan forest rangers also started investigating the whole incident. 

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis), more than 300,000 hectares of land were destroyed by fires in Spain in 2022, setting a record for Europe.