Around 40,000 people evacuated from southwest France due to wildfire

Around 40,000 people have been evacuated from southwest France due to a wildfire.

The wildfire has ravaged more than 10,000 hectares of land, as per Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.

The blaze started in the village of Saumos on Wednesday and spread to the Cap-Ferret peninsula.

Eighty homes have been burned, with around 50 completely destroyed, and no casualties have been reported.

France invoked the EU's civil protection mechanism and is receiving reinforcements, including Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.