France Fights Post-WWII Record Wildfires as Over 250,000 Evacuated

Amid unprecedented wildfires near Bordeaux and Landes that forced over 250,000 evacuations since Wednesday, French authorities suspend rail services and close a major highway as disaster response operations intensify.

Wildfires Spread Near Bordeaux

A fire near the town of Saumos in the Gironde department broke out on Wednesday, July 22. Driven by the wind, the fire spread very rapidly. The blaze is heading towards Bordeaux, the capital of the department. Authorities emphasize that the city is not currently threatened.

On Saturday, July 25, Gironde fire chief Marc Vermeulen reported that weather conditions are currently favorable, and the night should be conducive to the firefighters’ work.

– The fire lost some of its intensity due to a drop in air temperature and increased humidity – added Sophie Brocas, head of the Gironde department. She stressed, however, that “the threat remains very serious” and the fire “is still dangerous.”

Meanwhile, a second major fire broke out on Thursday, July 23, near the town of Biscarosse in the Landes department.

Massive Evacuations Across Gironde

France is burning. Over 250,000 evacuated.

– Our task is to anticipate all situations – said Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. He added that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu asked for all scenarios to be drawn up, including the evacuation of Bordeaux, even though services are “doing everything to avoid this scenario.”

Consequently, in the night from Saturday to Sunday, July 26, the authorities of the Gironde department ordered the preventive evacuation of 55,000 people. It covered municipalities southwest of the Arcachon bay and near Bordeaux: Marcheprime, Le Barp, Biganos, Mios, and Cestas.

This means that since Wednesday, 220,000 people have had to leave their homes in Gironde. As the daily “Le Parisien” emphasizes, this is one of the largest wildfire evacuations ever carried out in France.

The daily also reports that the fire in Gironde is among the largest fires recorded by France since World War II. In 1949, a massive fire that consumed the Landes de Gascogne forests was recognized by the French as the most tragic in the country’s history. At that time, the fire destroyed about 50,000 hectares of forests.

The second fire in the Landes region also forced 30,000 people to evacuate this week. Thus, the total number of people forced to leave their homes increased to over 250,000.

Transport Suspensions and Highway Closures

Authorities halt trains and close highway.

In the night from Saturday to Sunday, authorities published maps showing that the fire has headed southeast, towards Marcheprime, a town located by the railway line.

Authorities suspended train services to towns south of Bordeaux and closed a 60-kilometer section of the A63 highway leading from Bordeaux to Spain.