France wildfire: Biscarrosse returns but danger remains

Residents and business owners have begun returning to Biscarrosse in southwest France after firefighters brought a 3,700-hectare wildfire in the Landes region under control, but authorities warned that a new heatwave could reignite blazes.

The village is surrounded by open fields and pine forests about 15 kilometres inland from the Atlantic coast. It lies about two hours south of a larger forest fire still burning in the Gironde region near Bordeaux.

Some residents said smoke and the smell of burning still lingered. Michael Elicegui, 49, said peat beneath the forest could continue smouldering and reignite later.

Businesses in and around Biscarrosse reported heavy losses. Hardware store owner Francois Maubourguet said his warehouses had been flattened and nothing could be salvaged. At a damaged garden centre, palm trees stood beside charred olive trees and smouldering embers.

The town has about 15,000 people in the low season, but its population doubles during the holidays. Restaurant owner Marion Bidondo said thousands of evacuated holidaymakers had left local businesses struggling and said the state would need to consider support once the situation calmed.

The Landes fire is one of several to hit France in recent weeks. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, fires have burned 92,000 hectares nationwide this year, the largest area recorded for any year in the past 20 years.