Wildfires spread across southern France on Thursday, scorching a combined area of 1,210 hectares of land, as strong winds and tinder-dry conditions fueled by Europe’s recent summer heat spread the blazes.Hundreds of firefighters were deployed to affected areas, aided by water-bombing planes and emergency vehicles, as authorities raced to bring the blaze under control, Reuters reported.The largest fire was in the Aude administrative department near the Spanish border, where about 900 hectares of land were destroyed. Local officials said about 800 firefighters and 150 vehicles were deployed as strong winds were hampering firefighting operations.Additional fires broke out near Marseille, where firefighters brought two fires under control, but could not completely extinguish them. Another wildfire near Lançon-Provence spread across about 260 hectares, while a smaller fire was also being dealt with near Rognac, close to Marseille airport. Officials said there were no injuries.Aude Prefect Alain Bouquet said two more Canadair water-bombers were deployed to reinforce firefighting efforts.“The idea is to get the fire under control as quickly as possible because the temperature is rising and the wind is getting stronger,” Buquet told France Info.The latest fires come days after the World Meteorological Organization warned that record-breaking heat across western Europe has killed more than 1,300 people, significantly increasing the risk of wildfires due to prolonged high temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation. The French weather office has also warned that another round of extreme heat could hit the country next week.The Aude region is frequently affected by wildfires and last year was the site of France’s largest wildfire in decades. Further east, more than 2,000 people were evacuated from six camping sites near the resort town of Fréjus on Wednesday as another wildfire threatened the area.