Homes were reduced to ashes and rubble in the southwestern French town of Biscarrossse on Tuesday (July 28) as a massive wildfire ripped through the area.

Firefighters were facing flare-ups of the blaze, which has scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land in the Gironde department, as high winds and high temperatures were forecast.

Crews raced to subdue huge wildfires that have forced the unprecedented evacuation of tens of thousands of people across France, as Western Europe braced for another heatwave.

Weather service Meteo France said it expected the heat to peak on Wednesday (July 29), when temperatures in Paris could hit 38 C, but added that the duration of the heatwave "will be determined in the coming days."

Firefighters contained the forest blaze near the major city of Bordeaux overnight, local officials said earlier on Tuesday.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Drone shows homes reduced to ashes as wildfire rips through southwest France

VIDEO SHOWS: DRONE VIEWS OF SMOKE, BURNT HOUSES AND FORESTS IN BISCAROSSE, SOUTHWEST FRANCE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BISCARROSSE, FRANCE (JULY 28, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

1. DRONE VIEW OF BURNT FOREST AND SMOKE

2. DRONE VIEW OF SMOKE COMING FROM FOREST

3. DRONE VIEW OF HOUSES, SMOKE IN DISTANCE

4. DRONE VIEW OF BURNT FOREST AND SMOKE

5. DRONE VIEW OF CAR DRIVING BY BURNT HOUSES

6. DRONE VIEW OF BURNT HOUSE AND SWIMMING POOL

7. DRONE VIEW OF BURNT HOUSES AND FOREST

8. VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF OF BURNT HOUSES BY SWIMMING POOLS

9. VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF BURNT HOUSES AND BURNT FOREST

10. DRONE VIEW OF ASHES NEAR BURNT HOUSE

11. VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF BURNT TRUCK

12. VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF BURNT HOUSES

13. DRONE VIEW OF BURNT FOREST