Gironde wildfire stays uncontained as 40°C heat threatens France's overnight gains

Lege-capferret,UPDATED: Jul 29, 2026 15:34 IST

A massive wildfire in southwest France remained uncontained on Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to touch 40 degrees Celsius threatening to wipe out the gains made by firefighters overnight. Authorities in the Gironde region said the blaze, which has covered an area four times the size of Paris, did not spread during a calm night, but warned that heat and wind could quickly push it forward again.

More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft are still deployed, with support from teams across France and other European countries. The fire has already forced 220,000 people to flee at its peak, although tens of thousands have since returned home. Officials said the danger is still not over.

At the command centre in Lege, commanders tracked three danger zones: northern Cap-Ferret, the wooded corridor around Marcheprime, Cestas and Saint-Jean-d'Illac, and a military site near Martignas, where a significant new outbreak required a major deployment. Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said, "We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions."

The extreme heat has dried out vegetation and reduced humidity, turning grass, scrub and forest litter into faster-burning fuel. Winds can also carry embers across firebreaks and start fresh blazes beyond the reach of crews. Meteo-France said Wednesday would be the hottest and driest day of the week, with high wildfire risk across every region of the country. It also said drought now covers mainland France and Corsica, with soils nearing the record dryness seen in August 2022.

In other parts of France, firefighters secured two major gains, with fires in Landes and Var brought under control in the sense that their advance had been halted. Interior Minister Laurent Nuez said that left Gironde as the country's biggest remaining wildfire battle. At the same time, smoke from the Gironde and Landes fires triggered an ongoing particulate pollution episode in both departments, according to regional air quality monitors.

Gironde authorities ordered 4,000 more people to leave tourist sites along the Atlantic coast on Tuesday, widening what may be France's largest peacetime evacuation. Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said, "The situation remains complicated. That's clear. We're not out of the woods," even as she allowed 60,000 evacuees to return to three Bordeaux suburbs that had not been touched by the fire. The simultaneous movement of people leaving coastal resorts and others returning with phones switched on and emergency bags ready underlined how uncertain the situation remains.

At the height of the evacuations, about 330,000 people were displaced from homes and holiday sites across France and Spain. Spain is preparing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several fires still out of control, including the largest in its recorded history. Even so, Spanish authorities began lifting evacuation and stay-at-home orders for thousands after firefighters made progress.

At its peak, the Gironde wildfire produced a black thundercloud that was electrified and lit from within, generating lightning, strong winds and new fires beyond the original front. The phenomenon, known as a pyrocumulonimbus, was the first recorded in France. More than 1,160 square kilometres have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

According to the European Union's Copernicus climate service, Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent and is warming at more than twice the global average. Copernicus said western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness helping fires spread and intensify in France and Spain. For now, Gironde remains at the centre of France's wildfire battle, with officials warning that the coming heat could quickly undo recent progress.

With PTI Inputs

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