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Wildfires Force Evacuation
Wildfires spread across France’s Gironde region near the town of Lège-Cap Ferret, prompting the evacuation of about 20,000 people from towns and vacation resorts along the French Atlantic coast Thursday.
“Authorities evacuate more than 10,000 in France as wildfire spreads A wildfire is raging near Lège Cap-Ferret in southwestern France, forcing over 10,000 people to evacuate PARIS -- More than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight in southwestern France as a wildfire raged Thursday near the coastal town of Lège Cap-Ferret, which is popular with tourists, on the Atlantic Ocean”
AP reported the fire in a forest near Lège-Cap Ferret spread over more than 31 square kilometers (12 square miles), while local authorities said no injuries had been reported.
The BBC said about 12,000 people had been evacuated from the south-west of France and authorities were moving 8,800 others as wildfires spread in the Gironde region.
Local officials said some 3,400 hectares (8,400 acres) of land had already been destroyed around the Bay of Arcachon, as about 700 firefighters battled the flames.
AP said the fire came within 300 meters (980 feet) of the first homes in Lège, and water bombers were being used as the prefect Sophie Brocas said the wildfire remained contained to the north of Lège.
Heat, Fire Behavior, and Tools
The Guardian described a “particularly intense” wildfire on France’s southwestern Atlantic coast that prompted the evacuation of more than 18,800 people, as firefighters struggled to control the blaze.
The Guardian said the fire began in a dense pine forest near the village of Saumos about 40km (25 miles) west of Bordeaux and just north of the bay of Arcachon, and it had burned more than 3,700 hectares (9,140 acres) in a little over 24 hours.
Marc Vermeulen, the regional fire service chief, said on Thursday evening, “The fire is highly erratic and gaining very significant force,” and he added that “One of the main fronts is very close to a semi-urban area.”
AP reported that about 700 firefighters were deployed, including forces sent from the Paris region, and that the prefect’s office said the wildfire had not yet been brought under control but remained contained to the north of Lège.
The Guardian said the Gironde prefecture reported that while 800 firefighters and four water-bombing planes were battling to bring the fire under control, the situation remained “unfavourable” and the blaze was not yet stabilised.
What’s at Risk Next
AP said the evacuation involved 8,800 people, and it reported that authorities later evacuated the village of Claouey, including residents staying at several campsites, as a precautionary measure.
“Firefighters in front of a burning building after a forest fire in the Biobío region, where, according to local media, multiple wildfires prompted emergency evacuations in Concepción, Chile, on January 18, 2026”
The Guardian said nine municipalities had opened reception centres for evacuees and were sheltering more than 2,500 people, while it also reported that numerous roads in the area were closed to all but essential traffic.
In Spain, AP said a fire near Alcalá de Henares near Madrid caused the high-speed train service between the capital and Barcelona to be briefly suspended Thursday, and it reported that firefighters continued to extinguish a week-old fire in the province of Guadalajara that had burned 320 square kilometers (123 square miles).
The Guardian linked the wildfire risk to extreme heat and said a marine heatwave was affecting 80% of the Mediterranean Sea’s surface area, while it warned that “Dantesque” scenarios cannot be ruled out as infernos worsen.
AP said Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that more than 12,500 wildfires had broken out since the beginning of the year, and almost 44,000 hectares had already burned, setting the scale for what authorities are trying to prevent next.
