More than 60,000 evacuated as uncontrolled wildfires spread across south-west France
More than 60,000 people have been evacuated or are being moved to safety as two major wildfires continue to spread across south-west France, fuelled by highly unfavourable weather conditions.
The largest blaze, which began in Somos in the Gironde department before advancing towards the Cap Ferret peninsula, has already burned more than 10,000 hectares, French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said on Friday morning.
“As I speak, a total of 40,000 people have been or are currently being evacuated due to this fire,” Nuñez said, warning that the blaze remained out of control and was continuing to spread.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, telling residents and holidaymakers to leave before 10am. Hundreds of boats were mobilised to carry evacuees across the water to Arcachon, while others were directed towards the peninsula’s only road connection with the mainland.
Around 1,000 firefighters are battling the Gironde blaze after the flames crossed a firebreak established overnight.
A second major fire near Biscarrosse has burned more than 2,500 hectares since breaking out on Thursday afternoon. Just over 20,000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area, while more than 700 firefighters have been deployed.
Nuñez described the Biscarrosse fire as “significant” and similar to the blaze in Gironde. He said the weather conditions were making firefighting operations extremely difficult and confirmed that the fire was continuing to advance.
France has formally activated the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism to request additional assistance. EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the bloc was deploying three water-bombing aircraft to support French emergency services.
President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as “very intense”.
Wildfires have burned more than 50,000 hectares across France since the beginning of 2026.
Neighbouring Spain is also facing a serious wildfire emergency. The Spanish government has declared a national emergency over fires near Madrid and Ávila, where more than 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
World Affairs Correspondent
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