France's Ziront Wildfire Allows Return of 198,000 Evacuees

The massive forest fire that erupted in the southwestern French department of Ziront, the largest in France since 1949, scorched roughly 420,000 hectares in a week and forced about 220,000 residents to evacuate.

Prefect Sophie Broka announced that 198,000 of the displaced people have now returned to their homes, while four communes—Somos, Le Temple, Le Porz and Lez‑Cap‑Fere—remain empty. Fire chief Marc Vermulen cautioned that, although the blaze is now considered contained over a 240‑kilometre perimeter, interior hotspots may still exist and require careful monitoring.