Firefighters managed to stop the spread of a “massive” blaze in southwest France, allowing authorities to reopen a section of motorway to traffic ahead of a busy holiday.

Reinforcements from across Europe have helped local firefighters fight a wildfire in France’s Gironde region since Tuesday and forced the evacuation of 10,000 people. Wind and a scorching temperature of 40 degrees Celsius contributed to the spread of fire.

Fires broke out in southwestern France in July, destroying more than 20,000 hectares of forest and forcing nearly 40,000 people to flee their homes for a short time.

This summer, a series of heat waves have sparked wildfires across Europe, highlighting the dangers climate change poses to industry and livelihoods.

Storms are expected to hit France on Saturday evening, dropping temperatures and warning of adverse weather conditions.

Hundreds of firefighters are also battling the blaze to the north in Britney, where the fire has destroyed 400 hectares, and in the Jura region to the east, where 500 hectares have burned.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed that more than 60,000 hectares of land burned in France this year, six times the annual average between 2006 and 2021.