Extreme heat has 750 firefighters on standby in southern French dept.
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After the maximum red risk level was reached, the department of Bouches-du-Rhone in southern France prepared more than 750 firemen on standby.
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Firefighters stand on the scene of a fire in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019 (AP)
More than 750 firemen have been placed on standby in the southern French department of Bouches-du-Rhone after the maximum red risk level for wildfires was reached owing to extreme heat, according to French network BFMTV.
15 firefighting planes have also been prepped for deployment in the event of a fire. The red alert was issued for the second time in two weeks, and authorities imposed many restrictions, including a prohibition on barbecues in the forest, according to the broadcaster.
The administration has also shuttered many regional parks and imposed a fine of 135 euros ($148) for violating the restrictions, according to the report.
As of Saturday, the Meteo des Forets tracking agency announced a red risk level in the departments of Bouches-du-Rhone and Var, with a medium orange level in three additional southern departments.
The Montpellier Zoological Park in Montpellier, in the southern region of Herault, was closed on Friday, according to media reports.
A report late last month reported that temperature records were set in different regions across the world, leaving behind a trail of wildfires and floods from the North all the way down to the South.
The warmest summer on record in Europe resulted in 61,672 heat-related deaths, according to research that was released last week. Italy has the highest mortality rate.
While the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the UN said the trend of heatwaves "shows no signs of decreasing" as a stark warning of the effects of global warming, the French weather service reported that several local temperature records were broken in southern France.
Local temperature records were broken at various monitoring sites in the south of France, including those in the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, it added.
