A major wildfire burning in southwest France has advanced to within 15km (nine miles) of Bordeaux, prompting Mayor Thomas Cazenave to warn he is bracing for “all eventualities.”
He said preparations are under way to shelter large numbers of evacuees if further orders are issued, BBC reports.
French President Emmanuel Macron, visiting the Gironde region, described the crisis as a “completely unprecedented wildfire” and the “toughest since World War Two.”
More than 220,000 people have been evacuated in France, alongside 100,000 in Spain, where fires west of Madrid remain “uncontrolled.” A fresh heatwave on Tuesday threatens to worsen conditions.
Macron noted progress in containing a smaller blaze in Landes, but said the fight continues in Gironde. “Temperatures are set to rise again, the wind is still present, and therefore we must remain humble,” he cautioned. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez earlier remarked the fire “has a life of its own.”
Jerome Steffe, mayor of Cestas south of Bordeaux, told the BBC the region faces “the fire of the century.” He said 17,000 residents were evacuated overnight as flames surged two days ago, leaving 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) scorched and 240 homes destroyed.
“In my city the situation is really catastrophic,” he said, adding that while the blaze has slowed, embers and shifting winds still pose grave risks. “We put all our energy into creating protective firebreaks, but we are all scared in front of this situation.”
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned France is enduring an “unprecedented fire season,” with 116,085 hectares (286,852 acres) burned and 13,566 fire starts since January.
He said nine out of ten fires are human‑caused, often through carelessness, but added that some are deliberate. Since 6 July, 162 arrests have been made.
Blazes are also active in Var, Landes and Haute‑Corse in Corsica. In Spain, officials declared a national emergency for a fifth day as fires west of Madrid spread rapidly.
BBC Verify analysis of satellite images from 24 and 26 July shows how separate blazes in Almorox, Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias merged into one, consuming more than 27,000 hectares. Local authorities warn the region faces “the worst fires in its history.”
Scientists say climate change is intensifying heatwaves, with Europe warming at twice the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
