Forest Fire in Landes, France Burns 100 Hectares
Listen to the story
A large forest fire is currently burning in the Landes region in south-western France.
So far, about 100 hectares of forest have been destroyed by the flames. Firefighters warn that thousands more hectares could still be threatened.
Local firefighting teams are working to control the blaze, but the situation remains difficult. Extra firefighters from the Deux-Sèvres department have been sent to help fight the fire.
The fire has also caused problems for train travel. SNCF, the French national railway company, has confirmed that train services south of Bordeaux have been disrupted because of the fire.
Passengers travelling in the area are advised to check for updates before their journeys, as delays and cancellations are possible while the fire continues.
Authorities have not yet given a clear estimate of when the fire will be brought under control. Firefighting efforts are expected to continue as long as the threat remains.
Vocabulary6 words
- forest fire
- a large fire that burns trees and land
- hectares
- units used to measure the size of an area of land
- firefighting teams
- groups of people trained to stop fires
- SNCF
- the company that operates trains in France
- disrupted
- stopped from working normally
- reinforcements
- extra people sent to help in a difficult situation
Quiz
Answer key
1. Deux-Sèvres 2. Train services south of Bordeaux have been disrupted 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A large forest fire is currently burning in the _____ region in south-western France.
So far, about _____ hectares of forest have been destroyed by the flames.
Firefighters warn that thousands more hectares could still be _____.
Extra firefighters from the _____ department have been sent to help fight the fire.
_____, the French national railway company, has confirmed that train services south of Bordeaux have been disrupted.
Passengers travelling in the area are advised to check for _____ before their journeys.
Authorities have not yet given a clear estimate of when the fire will be brought under _____.
Firefighting efforts are expected to continue as long as the _____ remains.