Paris, August 02 (QNA) – French authorities said on Sunday that a massive wildfire that has scorched around 42,000 hectares of forest near Bordeaux in southwestern France has been contained, although it has not yet been fully extinguished.

Authorities also maintained an orange heatwave alert across 20 departments in the east and southeast of the country.

Local authorities in the Gironde department said the blaze, which erupted more than two weeks ago, is no longer spreading and remains confined within its existing perimeter, although hotspots persist in several areas.

Firefighters continued operations in Lege-Cap-Ferret and Le Porge, where residents have yet to be allowed to return to their homes.

Authorities said about 208,000 people have returned home out of the 224,000 evacuated at the height of the crisis, while crews continue to secure affected areas by clearing access routes and establishing firebreaks to prevent the blaze from reigniting. Additional firefighting assistance is also expected to arrive under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

Meanwhile, Meteo-France maintained an orange weather alert for high temperatures across 20 departments in eastern and southeastern France through at least Monday.

Forecasters said temperatures are expected to range between 34 C and 38 C in the hardest-hit areas before easing from Tuesday, although above-average heat is expected to persist in eastern parts of the country. (QNA)