French military personnel have reinforced firefighters in recent days in efforts to contain a massive wildfire in the country's southwest that has scorched 42,000 hectares of land.

Military firefighters hosed down burnt forests as the "stabilised" fire near the major city of Bordeaux is still not under control, with crews hoping favourable weather conditions would ease the task.

The French fires have torn through pine forests and forced about 220,000 residents and holidaymakers to evacuate, although some 60,000 have been allowed to return. Thousands of businesses which briefly suspended operations were gradually reopening, while a key motorway would fully reopen on Thursday (July 30) after days of partial closures, officials said.

Conditions were expected to ease around Bordeaux on Thursday, with the possibility of thunderstorms, higher humidity and temperatures below recent peaks. But an extreme heat warning remained in force in Gironde, the department of which Bordeaux is the main city.

Meteo France warned in its latest bulletin on Wednesday (July 29) afternoon that the greatest danger of wildfires was now centred on southeastern France and the Mediterranean arc.

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Recent footage shows military, fire crews combating France wildfires

VIDEO SHOWS: RECENT AERIAL VIEWS OF WILDFIRE IN SOUTHWEST FRANCE, FIREFIGHTERS DURING WILDFIRE OPERATIONS, BULLDOZER CREATING A FIREBREAK IN FOREST

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: IN AIR, GIRONDE DEPARTMENT, FRANCE (JULY, 2026) (FRENCH ARMED FORCES - Must on-screen courtesy "French Armed Forces" / No re-use after August 29, 2026)

1. VARIOUS AERIAL VIEWS OF WILDFIRES BURNING

2. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY RESPONDER FILMING AERIAL VIEW OF SMOKE BILLOWING, LINE OF FIRE TRUCKS ON GROUND

GIRONDE DEPARTMENT, FRANCE (JULY, 2026) (FRENCH ARMED FORCES - Must on-screen courtesy "French Armed Forces" / No re-use after August 29, 2026)

3. FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT FLYING OVER AFFECTED AREA, FIRE ENGINES ARRIVING AT SITE

4. FIREFIGHTER ON FIRE ENGINE

5. VARIOUS OF MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS HOSING WATER ON TO BURNT FOREST

6. MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS WALKING AMID SMOKE

7. MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS HOSING BURNT FOREST

8. MILITARY FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEAR FIRE TRUCK

9. MILITARY FIREFIGHTER PULLING FIRE TRUCK HOSE

10. PERSONNEL AND FIRE TRUCKS

LACANAU, FRANCE (JULY, 2026) (FRENCH ARMED FORCES - Must on-screen courtesy "French Armed Forces" / No re-use after August 29, 2026) (NIGHT SHOTS)

11. VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER CREATING FIREBREAK IN FOREST

12. MILITARY PERSONNEL ON BULLDOZER

13. VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER CREATING FIREBREAK