FRANCE’S government sounded the alarm today about the growing risk of forest fires because of climate change, as hundreds of firefighters in the country’s parched south wrestled with the biggest woodland-destroying blaze so far this year.

The fire erupted on Sunday and burned more than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of land along the Mediterranean coast, and spread across the border into north-east Spain.

On a visit to the zone earlier today, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said: “The fire season is starting early because of climate warming.”

Forest fires have long regularly afflicted France but generally used to start later in the year. However, major wildfires in Europe are now starting earlier in the year, becoming more frequent and harder to stop, and doing more damage.

Scientists say they’ll likely get worse as climate change intensifies. The Mediterranean region is warming faster than the global average.

“We’re in April. We have already seen the start of several important fires, notably in the south of France,” Mr Darmanin said.

Droughts that hit France last year have been compounded by shortages of rain this past winter, leaving already tinder-dry woodlands at even greater risk.

Hundreds of firefighters backed by water-bombing planes were deployed to tackle Sunday’s forest fire between Banyuls-sur-Mer and Cerbere in southern France that also spilled into Spain.

French rescue services spokesman Arnaud Wilm said this morning that the blaze is being successfully contained and that its biggest flames have been extinguished, but fire crews were still working to completely stop its spread and put it out.

On the Spanish side, firefighters said the flames that spread close to the town of Portbou were still active but had been stabilised and were no longer spreading.

They said that two border roads remained closed to traffic and the train service linking Portbou to Cerbere was halted.

Spanish national television said that about 50 people were temporarily evacuated from their houses near the town while around 20 French people unable to cross the border were given accommodation overnight in the town.