Firefighters in southwestern France managed to halt the advance of a vast wildfire overnight Tuesday, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes. The blaze, which has consumed 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), remains stabilized, according to the Gironde prefecture.
Several small outbreaks were detected and controlled overnight north of Le Porge and in dune land north of Cap Ferret. The fires are located along the Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux, where the current wildfire erupted near Saumos last week.
The wildfire has been unpredictable, at times turning into a fire storm and burning through an area roughly four times the size of Paris. It has forced the evacuation of 220,000 people from their homes. Officials have warned that smoldering vegetation and falling humidity could reignite the blaze.
Firefighters and military engineers resumed efforts early Tuesday to create tactical firebreaks, establishing 103 kilometers (64 miles) of barriers to prevent the flames from spreading.
Ninety-three firefighters have sustained injuries during the operation. A section of the A63 highway remains closed, and rail traffic south of Bordeaux has been suspended, with the exception of the route toward Toulouse.
In a separate development, thousands of residents and vacationers began returning home in the neighboring Landes region after a different wildfire there was contained. French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday evening that the Landes fire was under control.