French firefighters battle 'monster' wildfire

STORY: With no let-up in scorching temperatures likely before the weekend, firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft battled on many fronts, saying the massive fire could change direction at any moment.

Video released on Thursday by the French departmental fire and rescue service shows emergency services trying to put out a large fire near Hostens, with smoke darkening the forest area.

French authorities said temperatures in the Gironde region would reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday and stay high until Saturday.