Inserts:

00:13 Lieutenant Damien | Marine Firefighter
00:22 Rosie Birchard | DW Correspondent
00:46 Julien | Chief Sergeant
01:20 Michael | Volunteer
01:46 Letitia | Marseille Marine Firefighters

Script:

This is what life looks like on the front line of France’s fight against wildfires.
French firefighters are exhausted -- but there’s no time to stop as a new heatwave hits.

SOT Lieutenant Damien, Marine Firefighter
We’re working day and night with little rest time in between to hold back these fires and tackle possible new flare-ups today.

Rosie on cam:
This is extremely physical work and it is very very hot, around 40 degrees or 100degrees fahrenheit expected on Wednesday. 

<<<Firefighters, wind>>>
More than 2,000 firefighters from France and nearby countries are on the ground in the Gironde region -- over 100 have been injured and four have lost their lives.
Their fight is at a critical juncture as the humidity drops.

<<<Julien in car, Rosie in car>>>
Marine firefighter Julien takes us through evacuated areas near the most active fires. He explains thlle risks.

00:19 - 00:30.

SOT Julien, Chief Sergeant, Marseille Marine Firefighters (in car, pointing out window)
Look at that: All of this is already burned. But you see there’s still wisps of smoke here and there and we absolutely have to douse those, so fires don’t restart.

<<<Huge plume of smoke>>>
When we get there, we see it with our own eyes.
Rosie on cam: When we arrived here everything was calm but really in about 20 minutes the fires just whipped right up behind us. This is as far as we can go now for our safety.
<<<Volunteers>>>

Local volunteers are on the scene, bringing water to help the firefighters battle the blaze.
They too are on the edge after days of tireless work -- and many don’t feel properly appreciated.

SOT Michael, Volunteer (FR)
I got my family to safety and then on Saturday I came here and we’ve not slept since. // My daughter was evacuated from the town of Le Porge with flames around her. [He cries].
Reporter off cam: That must be very, very difficult sir.  Him: I’m sorry.

<<<Letitia at work, looking at fire, talking to colleague>>>
Nurse Letitia, a marine firefighter herself, is here to make sure the teams on the ground have what they need to soldier on. 

SOT Letitia, Nurse, Marseille Marine Firefighters (FR)
We’re attentive without being too intrusive. We try to see when there’s a dip in morale. It’s also our role. // It’s the fatigue above all. They’re sleeping very, very little.

<<<fires, firefighters working>>>
Temperatures are due to drop over the weekend, which might provide some reprieve.  
But it takes months to fully extinguish fires like these --
And scientists say climate change is making them much more frequent.