Wildfire forces another 55,000 people to evacuate in southwest France
- On Monday, July 27, 2026, massive wildfires in France's Gironde region and Spain forced 55,000 people to evacuate overnight, pushing the total displaced to 220,000 as flames advanced toward Bordeaux.
- Extreme heat and prolonged drought conditions fueled the blazes, which scorched roughly 42,000 hectares of forest and scrubland made tinder-dry by successive heatwaves in the Gironde region.
- French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez deployed 2,500 firefighters and military personnel, supported by 18 aircraft and an A400M transport plane modified to drop retardant across the firestorm.
- Two firefighters died during the operation, while smoke disrupted transport across southwestern France, including airport delays and a truncated final stage of the Tour de France.
- France faces a critical week as meteorologists forecast temperatures climbing to 39C by Wednesday, threatening to exacerbate containment efforts after a record-breaking 98,000 hectares burned across the country.
288 Articles
288 Articles
What is a ‘fire cloud’? French firefighters battle inferno so big it generates its own thunderstorms – UK Times
On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch More than 250,000 people in southwest France have been ordered to evacuate as wildfires burn across the region, scorching more than 42,000 hectares of land. The fire, which began in Gironde on Wednesday, is just seven miles from Bordeaux as authorities warned th…
Cai Rienäcker, ARD Paris, on the forest fire situation around the Bordeaux area
Sydney Morning Herald
Fire emergency worsens in Europe
Wildfires are closing in on the French city of Bordeaux, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
More than 300,000 people are fleeing the fire. In south-west France, the flames spread on Sunday to 15 kilometres from the metropolitan area of Bordeaux. Spain and Italy are still raging with fierce fires. "The French interior minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation at the gates of Bordeaux as very unfavorable. "Another difficult night on the forest fire front," he explained on Sunday. In the Gironde department alone, 42,000 hectares of l…
More than 330,000 people have been removed from risk areas in France and Spain in the midst of a series of forest fires that threaten Western Europe. Exclusive material for subscribers. To have full access, access the link of the material and register.
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