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Evacuation Near Bordeaux
A major wildfire in France’s Gironde region, near Bordeaux, forced the evacuation of around 20 mil personas, with authorities ordering a preventive withdrawal of about 20,000 people, including inhabitants and tourists, due to the risk of the fire reaching populated and tourist areas.
“Gironde/Corsica (France), July 23 (EFE) - The French Armed Forces have been working since the start of summer to fight forest fires across the country, this time focusing on the Gironde and Corsica regions”
The blaze began in the village of Saumos and then spread to Le Porge before advancing toward Lege-Cap-Ferret, where firefighters said flames reached ten metres in some places and the fire had ripped through 3,400 hectares.
Fire service and emergency operations were supported by hundreds of bomberos and specialized aircraft, with the European Union deploying three water-bombing aircraft from other countries after France sought help, EU officials said.
In the same area, Le Monde reported that some 12,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate after a fierce fire swept through approximately 2,000 hectares of forest since midday on Wednesday, July 23, in Le Porge in southwestern France.
The Guardian described the French wildfire as beginning in a dense pine forest near Saumos about 40km (25 miles) west of Bordeaux and just north of the bay of Arcachon, and said it had burned more than 3,700 hectares in a little over 24 hours.
Cause, Conditions, and Voices
Officials and residents said the fire appeared to have been started by a brush-clearing machine, and witnesses described the speed of the spread as flames moved rapidly through a dense pine forest.
John Wilmes, renting a house in Lege-Cap-Ferret, said: "It feels like being in a war zone.", while Patrick Martineau, a 69-year-old resident of Le Porge, said: "The gendarmes came and knocked on every door, the fire was about 500 metres away -- we grabbed some things and left,".
The BBC South presenter Jo Kent, staying at the Lesley Pastourelles campsite in Claouey, said multiple people at the campsite who were very anxious about the situation had already left, and she described the main road down to the south of the peninsula as empty.
The Guardian quoted Marc Vermeulen, the regional fire service chief, saying: "The fire is highly erratic and gaining very significant force," and added that one main front was very close to a semi-urban area.
Across the reporting, conditions were repeatedly linked to heat and dryness, with Sky News saying the situation was unfavourable and the scientists warned that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
What’s at Risk Next
As the wildfire continued to spread in Gironde, authorities said the situation remained unfavourable and that the fire was not yet stabilised, even as evacuations continued from campsites, holiday lets and homes.
“Over 12,000 evacuated as wildfire hits one of France's most popular tourist destinations Wildfire burns 2,400 hectares near Arcachon Bay as hundreds of firefighters battle flames in Gironde Şeyma Erkul Dayanç 23 July 2026•Update: 23 July 2026 More than 12,000 people had been evacuated as a wildfire continued to spread Thursday in Gironde, near Arcachon Bay, one of France's most popular tourist destinations, according to broadcaster BFM”
Sky News said Sophie Brocas, the prefect of the surrounding Gironde region, later evacuated 8,800 people from the village of Claouey, including residents staying at several campsites, and said more than 2,500 people were taking shelter in reception and respite centres.
The Guardian reported that nine municipalities had opened reception centres for evacuees and were sheltering more than 2,500 people, while it also said about 8,800 people were evacuated during the day on Thursday and 10,000 overnight.
Beyond France, the same heat and dryness context was described as affecting other parts of southern Europe, with Sky News saying Spain had already suffered 22 major forest fires so far this year and that firefighters were dealing with one of the country’s largest blazes on record in Guadalajara.
In parallel, the Guardian tied the broader risk to extreme weather, saying France has endured three almost back-to-back heatwaves since May and that climate breakdown is causing more frequent and extreme weather events that fuel wildfires.
