SAUMOS, France: More than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight in southwestern France after a fast-moving wildfire burned about 2,000 hectares of land west of the city of Bordeaux, officials said on July 23.

Data shows that wildfires have already burned more land in Europe this year than the average for the past 20 years. This comes as Europe, the fastest-warming continent in the world, has faced three intense heatwaves in a short period this year.

Around 500 firefighters are working to control the fire, according to local authorities. They described the wildfire as very difficult to manage but said no one had been injured so far.

The fire is burning near the Arcachon Bay area, a popular tourist destination. Many of the people evacuated were tourists staying at camping sites.

Two firefighters died when flames in the Gironde region surrounded their truck. Authorities urged people to avoid using barbecues during heatwaves and stressed that most wildfires—about 9 out of 10—are caused by human activity, whether accidental or not.

The fire also destroyed 100 hectares of land between Bordeaux and Cap Ferret. Officials evacuated 600 people near the village of Saumos and redirected road traffic away from nearby beaches.

Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde, said that everything was extremely dry and that several fires had already started, including one that was difficult to control. She added that she would ban all types of work involving engines, including forestry work, to reduce fire risk.

The national weather service Météo-France said the risk of more wildfires would remain very high in western and southwestern France for the rest of the week, and also in the southeast until at least July 23.

In southeastern France, slightly cooler temperatures and lighter winds helped firefighters battle another blaze in the Var area. That fire has burned 2,500 hectares, damaged dozens of homes, and forced 400 people to leave their houses, according to local authorities.

So far this year, about 44,000 hectares have burned across France, much higher than the usual average. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez paid tribute to the two firefighters who died on July 22 while fighting a separate fire in the same region.

Officials also said another wildfire was burning in the Hautes-Alpes region in southeastern France.