Wildfire forces 10,000 to flee and disrupts Tour de France in southern France

More than 10,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes in the foothills of the French Pyrenees as a wildfire devours the countryside, forcing Tour de France organisers to ban spectators from the final leg of Monday’s stage. The blaze, near the village of Trévillach in the Pyrénées-Orientales region, has already scorched at least 4,600 hectares (11,366 acres), according to local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, who announced the evacuation on X. “This morning conditions are deteriorating again,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned on French TV station TF1. “Today the battle resumes.” Authorities fear strong winds could further fan the flames. “It came within 300 metres (984ft) of the houses. We were shocked by how fast it spread, it was staggering – bordering on panic,” Patrice, a resident of Trévillach, told the AFP news agency. The wildfire has upended the Tour de France, one of the world’s most iconic sporting events. Race director Christian Prudhomme urged fans to stay away from the final 40km of the third stage, which runs from Granollers in Spain to Les Angles in the French Pyrenees. Unessential personnel have been barred, and the motorcade of team vehicles will be kept to a minimum. “An exceptional fire calls for exceptional measures for the Tour,” Prudhomme said. “We invite the public not to come to the edge of the race or to the finish site.” The crisis comes as an early summer heatwave grips southern Europe. Temperatures are expected to reach 40C in south-west France this week and have already exceeded 40C in parts of Portugal and Spain. “Although this heatwave is unlikely to break records in the way June’s did, it will still be exceptional for the time of year,” said BBC Weather Lead Forecaster Matt Taylor. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would send four aircraft based in Cyprus and Sweden to help fight the fires. The flames have also spread into neighbouring Spain, destroying more than 2,200 hectares in the Les Gavarres natural reserve. Catalan authorities said late on Saturday that the blaze there was stable and would be completely extinguished during the week. Further south, in the Castellon province, 500 people were evacuated after a wildfire entered the Sierra de Espadan national park. With strong winds and soaring temperatures forecast, the battle against the flames is far from over.