PARIS, France - More than 1,000 firefighters backed by water - bombing aircraft battled a 'monster' wildfire near France's wine - growing heartland of Bordeaux for a third day on Thursday, with no let - up in blistering temperatures seen before the weekend.
The fire in the Gironde region, one of several major blazes burning in France, has forced thousands of people from their homes, destroyed more than a dozen properties and scorched more than 6,800 hectares of forest.
'It;s an ogre, it's a monster', Gregory Allione from the French firefighters body FNSPF told RTL radio.
The Gironde wildfire is one of many that have broken out across Europe this summer, triggered by heatwaves that have backed the continent and brought record temperatures.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was due to visit the area later.
Local temperatures will reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday and stay high until Saturday, authorities warned.
