Summer wildfires still smoldering underground in southwest France

Portions of the enormous wildfires that burned last summer in southwest France are reportedly still smoldering underground and have spread to an inactive coal mine, where smoke is now visible.

Other new fires this winter have been surprising in their “unusual intensity.”

France’s drought has hit the region hard – 32 consecutive days without any significant rain in France, the longest period since record keeping began in the 1950s, ended in late February with light rain.

Streams in the Gironde region reportedly remain dry.