French President Emmanuel Macron has held a crisis meeting on the devastating wildfires bearing down on Bordeaux, with more than a quarter of a million people forced from their homes in one of the largest evacuations in French history.
The blaze, which began on Wednesday in the Gironde region of southwest France, has burned more than 42,000 hectares and was reported to be just 15 kilometres from the city on Sunday.
Authorities say the overnight situation was "globally stable" for the first time, but a fresh heatwave forecast later in the week is adding to concerns.
William Denselow reports from Bordeaux.
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William Denselow in Bordeaux says firefighters on the front lines are struggling to contain blazes that can escalate from small embers to infernos in moments.
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William Denselow in Bordeaux says the European Commission has deployed around a dozen aircraft and helicopters to assist firefighting efforts in both France and Spain.
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