France evacuates 20,000 as wildfires rage west of Bordeaux
Over 3,400 hectares scorched in Saumos and Lege-Cap-Ferret amid extreme heat and shifting winds, with two firefighters killed in separate incident earlier this week.
More than 20,000 residents and holidaymakers have been evacuated from southwest France as wildfires continue to threaten the tourist town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, located approximately 50 kilometres west of Bordeaux. The blaze, which began in the village of Saumos, has advanced rapidly through dense pine forest, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving approximately 800 firefighters, hundreds of gendarmes, and military personnel.
The European Union has deployed three water-bombing aircraft to assist French authorities after the government sought external support. Firefighting planes have been conducting water drops since the fire erupted on Wednesday. Officials and residents indicate the blaze appears to have been ignited by a brush-clearing machine, though formal confirmation remains pending.
Lege-Cap-Ferret, a coastal destination known for its sand dunes, cycle paths, and oyster shacks, has become the focal point of the evacuation order. Mayor Philippe de Gonneville cited challenging environmental conditions as a primary obstacle to containment, noting temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and strong winds shifting from the east and northeast.
The fire has already scorched 3,400 hectares of land, destroying three houses and a caravan. While no casualties have been reported among the evacuated population, the operation has been marred by tragedy; two firefighters died earlier in the week while battling a separate blaze near Bordeaux airport. Firefighter unions have publicly denounced a lack of resources, stating that crews are exhausted and under-resourced.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of severe climatic stress across France. The country has experienced three heatwaves since May, linked to climate change, which have dried rivers and fueled wildfires. Earlier this month, flames devastated approximately 10 percent of the UNESCO-listed Fontainebleau forest outside Paris. In 2022, fires in France damaged 30,000 hectares of forest, forcing around 50,000 people to evacuate. Across Europe, successive heatwaves have intensified drought conditions, leaving vegetation tinder-dry and contributing to record-breaking fire activity this year.
