Gironde wildfires pick up as French region braces for new 40C heatwave

Firefighters in France are working around the clock to contain wildfires that have been raging in the Gironde region, while bracing for another sharp rise in temperatures.

"The fire is like David against Goliath," said Eric Brocardi, spokesman of the national firefighters' federation.

Four of his colleagues had died in recent weeks across France, he said, and 2,000 had been deployed in the Gironde to contain the flames, which for days have ravaged the countryside between the coastline and Bordeaux.

According to regional prefect Sophie Brocas 14 places that had already been hit by the fires saw new flare-ups on Tuesday. "We are not in the clear," she said.

"The fire is like David against Goliath," said the spokesman of the French firefighters' federation

This summer's fourth heatwave was expected to start by Wednesday, bringing temperatures in the area to 40C.

Dozens of communities are still threatened by wildfires that forced more than 70,000 to evacuate their homes over the last week - although many have now been allowed back.

The Madrid region has been especially affected, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said while there were highly challenging hours and days ahead, light was beginning to appear "at the end of the tunnel".

In neighbouring Portugal, 400 firefighters were tackling a large fire on three active fronts in the eastern Guarda area.

The French city of Bordeaux, which has a population of 260,000, is not currently under threat, according to officials, despite the fact that one of the wildfires burning on Monday came only 15km (9 miles) from the city's periphery.

But Commander Rémi Lassoureille, who is leading the firefighting response in the Gironde region, is still worried about the western edge of the wildfire.

"We are frightened about the impact on Bordeaux and the metropolitan area," he said. Air quality in the city also deteriorated greatly.

"By Sunday evening everything had really begun to empty out," a holidaymaker from Essex told the BBC, adding that the air was "really smoky" with bits of ash. "People were staying indoors, so it was eerie, and very sad."

The majority of residents and tourists were wearing masks and the smell of smoke clung on to clothes for days, she said.

A firefighter "got a round of applause" as he walked through the Marché des Chartrons in Bordeaux where restaurants were having to close their doors because of the ash in the air, she added.

"The city has been very quiet," said Graham White, president of the Bordeaux British Community. "The shops, restaurants and cafes are fairly empty... Interestingly