Forest Fire on the Atlantic Coast Near Bordeaux: Around 20,000 People Brought to Safety

On Wednesday, around 12,000 people were initially brought to safety from campsites and holiday accommodations, including vacationers from the La Grigne campsite in Le Porge with about 3,500 guests. On Thursday, a further evacuation order followed, affecting around 8,800 people according to the regional newspaper "Ouest-France." This brings the total number of evacuees to around 20,000 people, according to AFP.

Evacuations and Accommodation

A stretch of beach in Le Porge was also affected, where around 600 vehicles were located. In addition, 22 patients from a hospital had to be transferred for safety reasons. The evacuation measures and road closures were coordinated by around 90 gendarmes according to the authorities; the gendarmerie is also securing the abandoned caravans, tents, and holiday facilities.

In nine localities in the region, 2,500 of the evacuees were temporarily accommodated according to the authorities. An exhibition hall in Bordeaux was also opened to take in evacuated tourists. "Die Situation ist dramatisch," ARD correspondent Michael Strempel described the situation. At least 200 of the roughly 1,000 evacuated residents were expected to be able to return to their homes during the course of the day.

Weather Conditions and Emergency Services

The authorities warn that the weather conditions are further complicating the operation. Temperatures of up to 34 degrees are expected in the region according to the weather service Météo Média, while other forecasts assumed up to 39 degrees Celsius. In addition, strong winds are further fanning the fire. "Wegen extrem ungünstigen Wetters" the fire is being fought with a massive deployment, the prefecture said.

According to the authorities, around 500 firefighters, 150 emergency vehicles, and four water bombers were deployed. On Wednesday evening, 260 vehicles and a helicopter were already in operation against the flames. "Heute Abend liefern sich unsere Einsatzkräfte einen regelrechten Kampf gegen die Waldbrände," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez declared. Addressing the helpers, he added: "An alle, die gegen die Flammen kämpfen, um die Franzosen, ihr Eigentum und unsere Wälder zu schützen: Die Nation steht hinter euch".

International Aid and Air Support

France is also receiving international support. President Emmanuel Macron announced via the platform X that two water bombers from Croatia as well as helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia would be sent to the region. According to Brussels, three further water bombers were to be deployed to the crisis area through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

According to government information, France has a total of 67 water bombers and helicopters, which are in constant use due to the numerous fires. By the end of July, a large military Airbus A400M is also to be converted into a water bomber. The converted transport aircraft can drop 20 tons of water in a single operation – twice as much as a conventional water bomber. Technical preparations, training of military personnel, and initial test flights began on Monday.

Forest Fires in Europe

The fire near Bordeaux is part of a concerning season. Interior Minister Nuñez stated that more than 12,500 forest fires had been registered in France since the beginning of the year – a new record, surpassing the previous high from 2022. Between January and mid-July alone, over 42,000 hectares of land had already been destroyed by flames. Only recently, water bombers had for the first time ever taken on water from the Seine south of Paris to fight a major fire in the Forest of Fontainebleau.

Severe forest fires are also raging in other parts of Europe. In Spain, the largest forest fire of the year in the province of Guadalajara destroyed 32,000 hectares of land within just under a week and counts among the biggest fires in the country's recent history. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a "Staatspakt gegen den Klimanotstand" during a visit to the fire area on Wednesday. In total, almost 125,000 hectares have burned in Spain this year – nearly three times as much as in the same period the previous year. In Sicily, more than 100 people were brought to safety as a precaution in view of a heatwave with temperatures well above 40 degrees in some areas; in the province of Agrigento, a forest fire had spread to the edge of a town.

In addition to the direct consequences of the fire near Bordeaux, consequences for tourism are also being discussed. The Atlantic coast region and the Arcachon Basin, popular with holidaymakers, are a traditional destination, including for German guests. Authorities and emergency services emphasized that the safety of those affected was the top priority. The increasing frequency of extreme forest fire seasons is linked by experts, among other things, to climate change.

Another Fire Near Biscarrosse

In addition to the water bombers, 85 state aircraft and 18,000 professional and seasonal personnel are being deployed according to government information. More than 100 drone bases in particularly at-risk regions are to help detect fires as early as possible in the future. As of now, one firefighter has been injured; no other serious casualties have been reported.

Meanwhile, according to AFP reports, there was another fire near Biscarrosse, south of Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. This was triggered by a delivery van that had caught fire; the flames quickly spread to the surrounding countryside. By late evening, this fire had covered around 1,200 hectares, and 5,000 people were evacuated as a precaution.

The emergency services are working under high pressure to prevent the flames from spreading further. The authorities called on residents and holidaymakers to follow the instructions of the emergency services and to respect the closures. The situation on the French Atlantic coast remains serious according to the prefecture's assessment, even though some evacuees have already been able to return to their accommodations.

Situation in the Hinterland of Marseille

If the weather situation does not ease soon, evacuations are expected to continue and the fire area is likely to expand further. According to Météo Média, the coming days are expected to remain hot and dry in high summer, which is likely to further complicate the firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, in the southern French region around the municipality of Pontevès northeast of Marseille, a forest fire in the mountainous hinterland flared up again after the emergency services had temporarily brought it under control. Some 800 firefighters and more than 100 soldiers were also fighting the flames in the Var department, supported by water bombers.

At the beginning of the week, around 500 residents of several localities in the Var department had already been evacuated as a precaution; some were able to return in the evening.

The authorities emphasized that international support was indispensable given the extraordinary strain on French fire services. The conversion of the A400M will be completed within ten days according to the Ministry of Defense in Paris and is intended to significantly reinforce the capacity of the water bomber fleet.