PARIS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen new fire flare-ups were recorded Tuesday in France's southwestern Gironde department, local authorities said, as the country braced for another heatwave and heightened wildfire risks across much of its territory.
Speaking at a press conference, Gironde Prefect Sophie Borcas said the flare-ups had occurred across the department. She added that although the main wildfire had stabilized, it had not yet been fully contained.
The renewed fire activity came as national weather service Meteo-France warned that hot and dry conditions were increasing wildfire risks. A total of 65 departments are expected to face a high risk of fires on Wednesday, forecast to be the hottest and driest day of the week.
The emergency has prompted large-scale evacuations in southwestern France. More than 250,000 people have been evacuated this summer, including 220,000 in Gironde. ■