New wildfires in SW France injure 4 firefighters

PARIS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Wildfires in the city of Aubais, located in the French southwest department of Gard, have injured four firefighters, burnt 200 hectares of land and forced evacuation, French daily news Le Figaro reported.

The fires on Sunday injured four firefighters, one of them seriously, Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin said on Twitter.

One hundred seventy firefighters and fire brigade aerial units were mobilized, and firefighters from neighboring departments were also deployed, according to Le Figaro.

As a security measure, several highways have been closed in both directions. "The fire has not impacted the highway, but a significant release of smoke presents a risk for traffic," said the official.

Due to heatwaves and dry winds, several wildfires have broken out over the past two weeks in southern France.