Wildfires blaze through south‑west France amid imminent 40°C heatwave

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:55:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Thousands of firefighters fight blazes in Gironde as a new heatwave threatens temperatures of 40°C, leading to evacuations and severe air‑quality warnings.

In the Gironde region of south‑west France, a series of wildfire outbreaks are being fought by more than 2,000 firefighters amid a looming heatwave expected to reach 40°C. The fires have prompted multiple evacuations, including 4,000 tourists and the loss of around 240 homes, while authorities have arrested over 180 suspects linked to ignitions. Spain and Portugal are facing parallel fire‑risk challenges, with Madrid evacuating tens of thousands and a large fire near Guarda threatening three fronts. New air‑quality advisories and fire‑fighting costs have heightened concerns for the city of Bordeaux, where smoke has dampened tourism and daily life. The situation underscores the urgency of coordinated fire‑fighting and public‑health responses across the Mediterranean basin.

Firefighters in France are working around the clock to counter wildfires that have erupted in the Gironde region, while officials brace for a sharp rise in temperature as a fourth summer heatwave approaches.

Eric Brocardi, spokesman for the national firefighters' federation, described the situation as "a David against Goliath" battle. He added that four of his colleagues had died in the preceding weeks, and that roughly 2,000 fire crews had been sent to the Gironde to try to keep the flames at bay.

Regional prefect Sophie Brocas warned that 14 towns already hit by fires were again affected on Tuesday, insisting the area was “not in the clear.”

The heatwave is expected to hit 40°C by Wednesday, with similar temperatures now forecast for neighbouring Spain. Spain has issued new evacuation orders, but as of now about 44,000 people have been allowed to return home. The Madrid region remains the most affected, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offering cautious optimism that the worst days are still ahead.

In Portugal, 400 firefighters are battling a large fire across three active fronts near the eastern Guarda area. The city of Bordeaux, while not immediately threatened, has faced the third nearest blaze, about 15 kilometres from its outskirts, prompting fears over air‑pollution and potential secondary attacks.

On Tuesday, the Gironde prefect announced a new evacuation of all camping sites close to the coast at Lacanau; tourists were told to prepare for sudden evacuation. Roughly 4,000 tourists were ordered to leave that day, on top of the 220,000 people displaced in France in recent weeks. An estimated 240 homes have been destroyed, and by midday the fire crews were already fighting new flare‑ups across the region.

The Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez noted that 184 people had been arrested since 6 July in connection with the fires, and one 23‑year‑old man is now facing 15 years’ imprisonment on suspicion of starting a fire in the Var region.

Local business owners report that the hospitality sector will suffer because of reduced tourist numbers, while residents in the Cap Ferret peninsula fear that the big city’s concrete structures are far less vulnerable than the woodlands surrounding them. A local winemaker said that the worst of the smoke had lifted after a rain shower on Sunday.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist urged caution, declaring that the government was "very vigilant" regarding air pollution and warned anyone in affected areas to stay indoors.