France fires under control, PM Lecornu says

France's wildfires are now under control, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Saturday, more than a week after the country's largest wildfire since 1949 broke out near Bordeaux.

"Overall, the fires are now under control in our country," Lecornu told La Tribune Dimanche. He said the Gironde region in southwest France had returned to a more stable situation, confirming earlier comments by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.

The largest blaze ripped through 42,000 hectares of pine forest along the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux and destroyed about 240 homes. Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde, said most of the 224,000 people evacuated from the flames had been allowed to return home.

Brocas remained cautious, warning that a fire being fixed did not mean it was out. She said two hot points were still causing concern. Nunez said people still unable to return would have to wait until the fire was extinguished in areas where it remained active.

Some local people think a brushwood-clearing machine accidentally started the Gironde blaze with a spark the previous Wednesday. The cause has not been established in the supplied material.

In southeastern France, Lecornu said the fire in the Var region remained under close surveillance. Regional prefect Simon Babre said firefighters had managed to stem the advance of a fast-moving blaze that began Friday, but he warned the situation was still extremely precarious.

Fires consumed 5,600 hectares in the Var region in July. George Clooney, Amal Clooney and their children were among those forced to leave their home earlier in the week.

Rail traffic south of Bordeaux resumed Saturday after being interrupted since the previous weekend.

The European Forest Fire Information System, which uses satellite data, said 92,000 hectares had burned in France so far this year, the largest annual total recorded in the country over the past 20 years.

Police across France have arrested 308 people in connection with fires, with 33 in custody.