FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Franklin woman and her 2 young children are among those caught in the path of dangerous wildfires burning in France, sheltering in place in the small French town of Biscarrosse as flames from a nearby national forest cut off escape routes.
Wildfires overseas have forced more than a quarter-million people to evacuate their homes across France and Spain. First responders are deploying large military aircraft in efforts to battle the blazes.
Becky Papin, who splits her time between Franklin and France, said she and her children are among the only people remaining in Biscarrosse.
"The police have told me not to leave my home. It's too dangerous to go out," Papin said.
When the flames were at their worst, Papin described what she witnessed.
"I could see flames just coming up and water planes coming up and it was absolutely terrifying," Papin said.
Papin said she put in her earplugs and went to sleep with no idea what the next day would bring — and woke to find the city had evacuated around her.
"I have a lot of prayer and people praying for me. I know I'm in a situation where being anxious won't help anything because the children are watching me. I'm remaining calm for them," Papin said.
Papin's partner was returning from a business trip when police turned him back. Emergency authorities are aware the family is sheltering in place and are prepared to deliver food when their supplies run out.
An ocean away in Middle Tennessee, Papin's father, Terry Blankenship, and his partner Pam described the moment they learned of the emergency.
"She called me, she texted me one word on Thursday, emergency," Blankenship said.
"And so I immediately called and she was very, very rattled. She said, Dad, there's a forest fire that's in the national forest around our home," Blankenship said.
"But I hear trees exploding and the police told us that many of the roads are on fire," Blankenship said.
"It just looked like Dante's Inferno," Blankenship said.
With roads on fire and no way out, Blankenship said the family is leaning on prayer.
"But they can't evacuate her now because the roads are on fire," Blankenship said.
"So she told me this morning when I was talking to her that, Dad, I'm staying calm for the kids and then that makes me calm," Blankenship said.
"You feel helpless. So how we deal with that is we commit her to God in prayer," Blankenship said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
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