France wildfires force 250,000 evacuations as Gironde blaze nears Bordeaux

Wildfires in southwest France forced another 55,000 people to evacuate as flames advanced towards Bordeaux. The escalating blazes in France and Spain show how heat and volatile winds are overwhelming containment efforts.Stock photo used for illustrationA major wildfire in southwest France forced 55,000 more people to leave overnight Sunday, taking the number evacuated in the Gironde region alone to 220,000, as flames moved closer to Bordeaux. Another fire in the neighbouring Landes region has pushed the total number evacuated in southwest France to more than 250,000.Spain also ordered fresh evacuations on its east coast as wildfires continued in the Valencia region. Uncontrolled fires there and west of Madrid have forced 116,000 people from their homes this week. One man died in Manises, a suburb of Valencia, marking Spain's first recorded death in the latest fires, while 13 people were killed earlier this month in southern Spain in the country's deadliest blaze in recent memory.Authorities in Gironde issued overnight evacuation orders for five more localities southwest of Bordeaux as shifting, gusty winds and dry conditions made it harder to contain the fire. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that after a "difficult" night for fire crews, "the situation remains very unfavourable". In a post on X, he said, "The fire again became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area." He added, "It became calmer by the end of the night."The Gironde prefecture said gusting winds fed the flames overnight Sunday, speeding up the spread of the blaze, which has been burning out of control since midweek. The area burned has risen to an estimated 42,000 hectares, much of it pine forest and scrubland left tinder-dry by successive heatwaves this year. Firefighters are trying to slow the fire's advance towards Bordeaux on the ground and from the air, with planes dropping water and retardants. Soldiers have also been called in to support the round-the-clock operation. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the fire was "at the gates of the metropolitan area", with flames coming to within about 15 km of the city at their closest point. The Gironde prefect also ordered the partial closure of a major highway in and out of Bordeaux. Farther south, the second fire in the Landes region has forced the evacuation of 30,000 people this week.The fires in France and Spain have led to large-scale evacuations as authorities struggle with fast-changing conditions, with southwest France seeing more than 250,000 people forced from their homes and Spain carrying out fresh evacuations in Valencia. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 26, 2026 16:02 IST