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Forest Fire in Landes, France Burns 100 Hectares

a person in an orange jacket riding a bike in the woods
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A significant forest fire is currently raging in the Landes region of south-western France, according to reports from local emergency services.

So far, roughly 100 hectares of woodland have been destroyed, but firefighters have warned that thousands of additional hectares remain at risk if the blaze is not brought under control.

In response to the growing threat, reinforcements from the Deux-Sèvres department have been dispatched to assist local firefighting crews already battling the flames on the ground.

The fire has also had a significant impact beyond the forest itself, disrupting rail travel in the region. SNCF, France's national railway operator, confirmed that train traffic south of Bordeaux has been affected on Wednesday because of the fire.

While specific details about the cause of the fire and the extent of the disruption have not been released, the situation is being closely monitored by emergency responders.

Authorities have not indicated when the fire is expected to be fully contained, and firefighting operations are likely to continue for as long as the threat persists.

Residents and travellers in the affected area have been urged to stay alert for updates, particularly regarding train schedules, as the situation continues to develop.

Vocabulary7 words

forest fire
a very big fire that burns a large area of trees
hectares
a way to measure how big an area of land is
reinforcements
extra help sent to support people already working
SNCF
the main company that runs trains in France
emergency responders
people trained to act quickly in dangerous situations
contained
stopped from spreading further
disrupted
stopped from working in the normal way

Quiz

1. What is the current extent of the damage caused by the fire?
2. Why were reinforcements from Deux-Sèvres sent to the area?
3. True or false: SNCF confirmed that train traffic south of Bordeaux was affected by the fire.

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