France's armed forces deployed turboprop military aircraft to dump tons of flame retardants as they battled raging wildfires on Saturday.

Across the sky of Gironde, the giant A400M transporter swooped in low, its long plume of ochre-colored retardant trailing over drought-hit woodlands in the southwest as fire crews on the ground fought flames.

Over 220,000 people have been evacuated in Gironde as devastating wildfires continue to spread, local prefecture authorities announced Sunday.