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160 hectares of fields and woods went up in smoke in the village of Forêt-le-Roi in Essonne, on July 26, 2019. RFI / David Baché

Thousands of hectares of crops caught fire throughout France this Thursday, July 25th. Normandy, the Center, Hauts-de-France and Lorraine were affected by drought and heat wave.

Imposing flames, calcined fields. The images of the fires are impressive. The flames spread very rapidly in areas where temperatures exceeded 40 ° C. In the Loiret, 500 hectares of essentially stubble crops, 800 hectares in the Eure department, 2,000 hectares burned in the Hauts-de-France region or 160 hectares burned in the Essonne.

Fire on 160 hectares in the Forest-le-Roi

Marie-Ange Gangnebien, Mayor of Forêt-le-Roi

26/07/2019 - by David Baché Listen

If the heat wave is not necessarily the main cause of these fires, it aggravates the situation. It accelerates the drying of the vegetation. And if you combine these dry crops with the hot air of yesterday, the slightest spark is enough to cause a fire.

Marie-Ange Gangnebien, mayor of La Forêt-le-Roi, in front of farmland that burned in her commune during a fire on Thursday, July 25, 2019. RFI / David Baché

►Also read: Portugal: more than 2500 firefighters mobilized against fires in the center

Earlier in the week, measures were taken to support farmers facing the drought. The European Commission has given the green light to allow the mowing of all fallows in departments where the case of force majeure has been recognized. In practice, these breeders will not lose the green aid of the common agricultural policy. It also anticipated the release of European aid under the CAP.