France Uses Military Plane for Wildfire Retardant Drops

France deployed a large A400M military cargo plane on Saturday to drop tons of flame retardant on raging wildfires in the southwest, as the blazes forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and led to a shortened Tour de France final stage. The wildfires across southern Europe this week have displaced over 250,000 people, with approximately 70,000 evacuated in central Spain. A fatality was reported in Manises, Spain, marking the first death attributed to the fires. In France, the A400M aircraft was seen releasing ochre-colored retardant over drought-stricken woodlands near Bordeaux. Fire crews on the ground are battling flames that authorities fear could spread towards the city, a major wine-producing region. The immense strain on emergency services prompted race organizers and the Paris police department to announce a truncated 21st and final stage of the Tour de France on Sunday. The race will now be an 89-kilometer circuit within Paris, a reduction of nearly a third from the originally planned 133-kilometer route. A portion of the race's security detail will be redeployed to assist in wildfire response efforts, described as "exceptional measures made necessary by the situation." French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that shifting winds on Saturday afternoon could drive flames closer to Bordeaux, prompting efforts such as digging trenches and using retardants to block the blaze. Nunez predicted a "long and very difficult" battle, noting the fire was approximately 30 kilometers west of Bordeaux and had lost some intensity overnight.