Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday thanked firefighters and security forces for their efforts as the country is facing massive wildfires.
“In these hours when the flames are severely testing our country, France reveals what it is: a united people, standing shoulder to shoulder. Thank you to our firefighters, our military personnel, the civil security forces, our gendarmes and police officers, as well as to the farmers and entrepreneurs, who through their commitment and courage, relentlessly combat the fires,” Macron wrote on social media platform X.
According to the French President, all civil and military resources are mobilised, including civil security aerial resources, Canadair, Dash, water-bomber helicopters, and reinforcements from across France.
He also thanked Romania, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia for their “invaluable support”.
“This is Europe. In times of trial, it brings to life the solidarity that defines it,” he noted.
He also expressed solidarity with other nations which are facing wildfires.
“Our thoughts also go to Spain, Italy, Greece, and all the peoples who are also facing wildfires,” he said.
“In the Southwest, particularly in Gironde and the Landes; in the South, notably in the Var, the Hautes-Alpes, and Haute-Corse; in Occitanie, especially in the Pyrenees-Orientales, but also everywhere the flames strike, thousands of hectares have been ravaged, homes destroyed, activities disrupted, lives upended. We will rebuild, we will repair, and we will be there as long as it takes,” Macron noted.
About 98,000 hectares of land have been burned by wildfires across France so far in 2026, setting a historical record for the country, French authorities said on Saturday.
Speaking at a press briefing, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that several blazes remain uncontained across the national territory, notably in the departments of Gironde, Landes, and Var, Xinhua news agency reported.
The ongoing emergency has led to large-scale evacuations in southwestern France.
According to Nunez, 57,000 people were evacuated overnight due to the spreading fires in Gironde, bringing the total number of evacuated residents in the region to 167,000.
(IANS)
