A massive wildfire near Bordeaux that burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced around 224,000 people to evacuate remained contained on Sunday, although it was still burning. Meanwhile, a separate wildfire in the Provence region stopped spreading overnight but had not yet been brought under control.
Around 3,000 firefighters were deployed across the two fire zones, working to extinguish hotspots, create firebreaks and secure burned areas as high temperatures and strong winds continued to pose the risk of flare-ups.
The wildfire in the Gironde region scorched about 420 square kilometres in just 10 days before authorities announced over the weekend that its spread had been stopped.
"The fire is now fixed, which does not mean that the fire is extinguished," the Gironde prefecture said on Sunday, using the French firefighting term for a blaze that has been contained within its perimeter.
The region remains under France's highest red forest fire alert, with dry weather, soaring temperatures and afternoon winds raising concerns that the flames could reignite.
Additional firefighting teams from Ukraine, Lithuania and French Polynesia were expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday to strengthen the response.
Scientists at World Weather Attribution said in a rapid analysis released on Thursday that human-caused climate change had doubled the likelihood of the extreme fire conditions that fueled the wildfires in France.
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe is the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate since the 1980s.
The Gironde wildfire triggered one of the largest peacetime evacuations in modern French history, leaving many thousands of residents still displaced or unable to return home.
In southeastern France's Var department, nearly 1,500 firefighters continued battling another wildfire that burned around 18 square kilometres in just over a day.
Officials said the fire in the Gros Bessillon hills was stabilised on Sunday morning, meaning it had not expanded overnight. However, unlike the Gironde wildfire, it had not yet been officially declared contained.
Firefighting aircraft assisted ground crews as they worked to prevent the flames from reaching villages surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and wooded hills in the Green Provence region.
About 2,500 people were evacuated as the fire threatened nearby communities.
The latest blaze is the fourth major wildfire to hit central Var since July 19. Earlier this week, another smaller wildfire near Brignoles forced Hollywood actor George Clooney, his family and around 700 other residents to evacuate before firefighters brought it under control.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the country's wildfires were largely under control but warned that changing weather conditions continued to pose a serious challenge.
He also announced the appointment of a national coordinator to oversee reconstruction efforts in fire-affected areas.
More than 1,170 square kilometres have been burned by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year.