A colossal wildfire is closing in on the French city of Bordeaux, now just nine miles from its outskirts, as President Emmanuel Macron convenes an emergency cabinet meeting to confront what he called a “completely unprecedented wildfire” – the toughest since World War Two.
The blaze, one of multiple fires tearing through the Gironde region, is moving unpredictably towards the city, fuelled by scorching temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds. Macron, visiting the fire-ravaged area, warned: “Temperatures are set to rise again, the wind is still present, and therefore we must remain humble.”
“Wildfire nine miles from Bordeaux as Macron calls emergency meeting; over 330,000 evacuated across France and Spain.”
Thomas Cazenave, the mayor of Bordeaux, said he is bracing for “all eventualities”. “We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered,” he said. So far, more than 220,000 people have been evacuated across south-west France, while in Spain fires burning “uncontrolled” west of Madrid have forced over 100,000 to flee. In total, more than 330,000 people have been evacuated across both countries.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation as “very unfavourable”, noting that the fire “has a life of its own”. Fire crews have reported that the blaze has generated a rare “pyrocumulonimbus” thunderstorm, producing its own winds and lightning. “We don’t know how the blaze will spread. The fire front is constantly shifting. We cannot fight it directly,” said Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s National Firefighters Federation.
Jerome Steffe, mayor of the town of Cestas, south of Bordeaux, described the scene as “catastrophic”. He told the BBC that 17,000 residents were evacuated overnight when the fire swelled two days ago, and that 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) of land have been burned and 240 houses destroyed. “In my city the situation is really catastrophic,” he said. “We put all our energy into creating protective firebreaks, but we are all scared in front of this situation.”
France is enduring an unprecedented fire season, with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reporting 116,085 hectares burned and 13,566 fire starts since January. He revealed that nine out of ten fires “are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution”. Some are deliberately set, he added, noting that 162 arrests have taken place since 6 July.
Despite the crisis, French minister for international partnerships Éléonore Caroit urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans. “It’s more than an incident, it really is a tragedy… but most other regions are okay, so do please come to France,” she told BBC Radio 4.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband expressed solidarity: “My thoughts are with everyone affected by the wildfires in Europe. British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities.”
With the next 24 hours deemed critical, the fire’s course remains uncertain. As Macron put it: “The fight continues.” The question now is whether the wind will shift – or the fire will find its own way.
