ARCACHON – Authorities in France evacuated several suburbs of Bordeaux on Saturday as a massive wildfire advanced toward the city renowned for its wines. The situation escalated rapidly, prompting urgent safety measures.
In the early hours of Saturday, the prefect of the Gironde region, which includes Bordeaux, ordered the evacuation of parts of three western suburbs, including the airport. Additional evacuations were taking place in nearby towns and villages as the threat from the fire intensified.
“As the fire continues to spread, and despite the significant resources deployed by firefighters, the situation necessitates the evacuation of residents from the affected areas to ensure their safety,” stated a briefing from the prefecture.
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The ongoing wildfire crisis has forced approximately 200,000 people to evacuate in southwestern France and central Spain. Residents fled towns around Madrid and Bordeaux as flames surged out of control on Friday.
Firefighters and authorities in both countries have been overwhelmed by the ferocity of the fires, which are exacerbated by extreme heat and long-term climate change effects. In Spain, officials acknowledged that the fires were so rapid and violent that they could not confront them directly. Meanwhile, some individuals in France escaped by boat as flames engulfed coastal tourist areas.
According to the French Interior Ministry, around 141,000 people evacuated their homes in the Gironde and Landes departments. In Spain, 60,000 residents were also displaced from their homes west of Madrid.
While dozens of firefighters in France have sustained injuries, authorities reported no casualties in either nation, despite the chaotic scenes as residents fled in their vehicles while police conducted door-to-door notices for evacuation.
On Saturday, the Madrid regional government announced that the intensity of the fires had diminished overnight, aided by a drop in winds and temperatures.
Spain’s Civil Protection Service anticipated the arrival of four additional water-dumping aircraft on Saturday—two from Italy and two from Greece—as part of a European Union response to the crisis. Firefighting aircraft from the Netherlands and Portugal are already engaged in operations in Spain.
The wildfire threatens Bordeaux
Gironde region prefect Sophie Brocas remarked on Friday night that strong westerly winds were pushing the fire closer to the Bordeaux metropolitan area, with the blaze reaching an “unprecedented magnitude.”
“The scale of the fire has changed,” she stated. “To combat it, we will receive exceptionally significant national reinforcements, including firefighters, military personnel, healthcare workers, and experts. We are assembling a much larger team to tackle this extraordinary fire.”
Individuals under the evacuation orders received alerts on their mobile devices, providing timely instructions for their departure.
“We want everyone to be evacuated quickly to safety. It is imperative that we act promptly and collaboratively,” Brocas emphasized.
The blaze began on Wednesday near the Cap Ferret peninsula on France’s Atlantic coast, located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Bordeaux. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the fire on Friday as “a large, self-sustaining fire that is extremely difficult to control.”
“It’s quite impressive and even frightening,” recounted Laurent Moretti, a resident of Arès. “An evacuation of this scale has never occurred before. Our primary hope is that the firefighters can swiftly bring it under control.”
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Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press journalist Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.
