France fire crews face searing heat in battle to contain flames

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be played

Planes dump water on French wildfires as temperatures rise

The aerial cavalry of three Canadair aircraft flying overhead look as impressive as they sound.

They arrive in formation, before sharply banking over towards the thick plume of black smoke ahead of us.

Their individual payloads of more than 1,000 gallons of water are then dumped onto the flames below.

A succession of helicopters then follows with their own streams of red fire retardant.

Image source, EPAImage caption, A Canadair aircraft dropping water across a burning fire

As the smoke eases, firefighters then move into the forest on foot to try and contain the latest flare-up.

They are the principal concern for the thousands of crews and volunteers combating the wildfires that have raged here for a week, forcing tens of thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

As temperatures peak at around 40C, fires restarting on their own are a constant threat.

After 20 minutes or so, the one we are watching is brought under control, only for another to suddenly emerge on the opposite side of the road.

"Leave now!" shouts an understandably irritable officer as he drives past. The smoke is becoming thicker and more aggressive. Indeed, time to leave.

Such is the vast scale of the infernos ravaging France's south-western Gironde region, that it is not always obvious what direction the smoke is coming from.

It simply descends as you travel west from Bordeaux along empty roads and through deserted villages.

The soil is powder-like and covered in endless pinecones and dried leaves. It explains how the wildfires have spread at the rate they have.

Image caption, Pierre Alexandre had refused to leave his bungalow when asked by firefighters

"When [the police] said I had to leave, I said no!" confessed Pierre Alexandre. The epicentre of the fire started in the woodland next to his bungalow.

He shows a picture of him sitting on the roof of his house in the dark. Pierre Alexandre explained it was in fact taken in the afternoon, after he told his wife and daughter to leave.

He gave his 19-year-old son, Clement, the option of staying if he wanted, which he did.

"I told him: 'Be careful because in front of us is a nightmare, we don't know what will happen,'" explained Pierre Alexandre.

Image source, Pierre AlexandreImage caption, Smoke seen from Pierre Alexandre's garden in Le Temple last Friday

His motivation for wanting to protect his home is relatable, but did he really believe he and Clement could stop the wildfires on their own?

"No, we're not firefighters," he conceded.

For those who are, controlling these wildfires is like witnessing a lethal game of "cat and mouse" or "Whack-a-Mole". An operation of containment rather than cure.

Behind the professionals are an army of volunteers. They drive towards the danger to either deliver water or spray it themselves.

Image caption, Hugo is one of the volunteers who drives to try and help put out the fires

"If it's too late, at least we tried," said a defiant Hugo, 26, as he refilled his water tank. "Fifty thousand hectares has already been destroyed, what will we tell our children?"

Hugo grew up in the area and has returned from his home in Bali to watch his mother's house in the village of Arès, which is perilously close to the wildfires.

"It's horrible, it's our home, it's our region, it's our forest, it's where we grew up, it's where our family live, where we live, it's horrible. I feel a lot of sadness," Maëlys, 23, told us, her face covered in soot.

"I am a nurse and I'm here to help," she added. Maëlys said her friends own big water tanks, which they then use to try to put out fires that flare-up to prevent them from spreading.

"In the morning I am at the hospital working, and in the afternoon I'm in the forest helping," she said.

Fire crews have arrived in the south-west from all corners of France - from Brittany in the north to cities like Marseille and Lyon in the south. When not directly dousing the flames, they water the soil and vegetation to prevent future fires from progressing.

It is a process known as "noyer" which translates as "drowning" in French. The Gironde wildfires might be under relative control for now, but they are far from doused.

Additional reporting by Paul Pradier and Matt Logan

Devastating European wildfires in maps - and how they're being tackled

Wildfires in south-west France flare up as region braces for new 40C heatwave

Thousands in Spain return home but new heatwave raises wildfire fears

PreviousNext1:18Teenage Norwegian 'hitman' guilty of UK murder plot. 00:01:18, play videoTeenage Norwegian 'hitman' guilty of UK murder plot0:24'Are you the local candidate?' - 'No, I'm the PM' 00:00:24, play video'Are you the local candidate?' - 'No, I'm the PM'0:56What is social care? 00:00:56, play videoWhat is social care?0:48Is the World Cup for sale? 00:00:48, play videoIs the World Cup for sale?2:43Jared Leto accused of criminal sexual conduct by four women. 00:02:43, play videoJared Leto accused of criminal sexual conduct by four women1:09Planes dump water on French wildfires as temperatures rise. 00:01:09, play videoPlanes dump water on French wildfires as temperatures rise0:55Japan in a 'race against time' to rescue people after quake. 00:00:55, play videoJapan in a 'race against time' to rescue people after quake2:35Inside a Palestinian village under weekly Israeli settler attacks. 00:02:35, play videoInside a Palestinian village under weekly Israeli settler attacks1:18Why is this US far-right influencer in Ukraine? 00:01:18, play videoWhy is this US far-right influencer in Ukraine?0:40Meth lab linked to Mexican cartel found in Nigerian forest. 00:00:40, play videoMeth lab linked to Mexican cartel found in Nigerian forest0:43Is America running low on weapons? 00:00:43, play videoIs America running low on weapons?1:01'My grandmother was a formidable woman' 00:01:01, play video'My grandmother was a formidable woman'1:07Can you solve this Victorian word puzzle? 00:01:07, play videoCan you solve this Victorian word puzzle?0:42UK could hit 35C in fourth heatwave. 00:00:42, play videoUK could hit 35C in fourth heatwave3:07Confronting a gang at the heart of Ecuador's drug wars. 00:03:07, play videoConfronting a gang at the heart of Ecuador's drug wars0:56Naga Munchetty to host Radio 5 Live's breakfast show. 00:00:56, play videoNaga Munchetty to host Radio 5 Live's breakfast show1:25Wrestling nans in talks to make film. 00:01:25, play videoWrestling nans in talks to make film1:20Has Ricky Gervais ever been offended? 00:01:20, play videoHas Ricky Gervais ever been offended?0:56Who else keeps every greeting card they've ever received? 00:00:56, play videoWho else keeps every greeting card they've ever received?0:46Teaching your kids about lying. 00:00:46, play videoTeaching your kids about lyingTop storiesMore than half of England in drought, Environment Agency declares

Burnham doesn't rule out tax rises to fix social care

Moment police officers set foot in 'horror scene' funeral home

Andy Burnham wants to fix social care - what are the options?

The evidence that shows today's 20-somethings really do have it worse

'Don't wait until you want revenge' - why prenups are on the rise

'Stopping screen time for my son was a gamechanger'

Amelia Dimoldenberg: I wouldn't invite Andy Burnham on Chicken Shop Date - but I'd love a chat

My 10-day headache was terminal brain cancer

'What teachers saw as flaws is what made me thrive'

How cow showers and fans help farmers keep cattle cool

Get news, tips and ideas for your family with our Summer Essential newsletter

What kind of Prime Minister will Andy Burnham be?

Inside the conspiracy that rocked the 1994 World Cup

Toby Jones explores a family connection to India

The shadowy power behind the world's biggest porn company

Moment police officers set foot in 'horror scene' funeral home

Burnham doesn't rule out tax rises to fix social care

Anthony Fauci refuses to answer questions during US Senate hearing discussing Covid origins

More than half of England in drought, Environment Agency declares

Some tech shares are plunging - what does that mean for the AI revolution?

Serial killer given whole life orders for murdering two men

Four women accuse Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct

Pictures show scale of drought across England as rivers dry up