Over 200,000 evacuated as wildfires near Bordeaux force France to deploy military aircraft and masks
Authorities in Gironde ordered 55,000 more people to flee on Saturday, as wildfires that began mid-week continued to advance toward the city and the tourist-heavy Arcachon coast.
Mass evacuations as fire regains strength
Authorities in France's Gironde department ordered 55,000 more people to flee on Saturday, as a wildfire that began on July 22 regained intensity and moved toward the city of Bordeaux and the coastal resort area of the Bassin d'Arcachon. The additional evacuation order pushed the total number of people forced from their homes in Gironde well beyond 200,000, in what officials described as one of the largest displacement operations in France's recent history. Earlier, 8,000 residents had been evacuated from several neighbourhoods in the communes of Marcheprime and Cestas, less than 30 kilometres southwest of Bordeaux. Among those fleeing were many holidaymakers from the tourist-heavy Arcachon basin, with ferries deployed to bring people to safety from the Cap Ferret peninsula.
- Large wildfire breaks out in the Gironde department
- 55,000 additional evacuations ordered, total exceeds 200,000
Military and logistical response
In response to the escalating crisis, the French government stepped up its support of firefighting services. Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced after an inter-ministerial crisis meeting that the number of soldiers assisting firefighters would double from 500 to 1,000. A military A400M transport aircraft, equipped with a specialised system capable of dropping up to 20 tonnes of retardant, was also made available to join the 18 water-bombing planes already in operation. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said multiple fires across France were still not under control, with the southwest the most affected zone, though flames were also burning in the Var department in the southeast.
Travel disruptions and health protection
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the national rail operator SNCF had introduced a special rule for journeys to the affected region: tickets for travel to Bordeaux and other fire zones could be postponed or cancelled free of charge. On the health front, 1.5 million FFP2 masks were being shipped to Gironde to shield both emergency workers and residents from harmful smoke. The prefecture had earlier stated that the evacuation on Saturday was ordered "given the rekindling of the fire."
Fires spread in Var and Spanish evacuations
The fires are not limited to southwestern France. Flames were also reported in the Var department in the southeast, and across the border in Spain the situation was deteriorating. Spanish authorities said about 73,000 people have now been evacuated, with fresh evacuation calls issued for the province of Toledo, southwest of Madrid. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters the outlook had worsened.
The situation is complex. Today we are a bit more pessimistic than yesterday. The weather conditions have not helped at all. The coming night will not be easy.
- Gironde (France)
- 200000 people
- Spain
- 73000 people
International offer of assistance
Baden-Württemberg's interior minister, Manuel Hagel, offered France concrete help in tackling the blazes. In a letter to the prefect of the neighbouring Grand Est region, Hagel proposed sending two police helicopters fitted with external load containers of 900 litres each for firefighting. He underlined that his state stood ready with all available resources.
Friendship is shown not in fine words but in decisive action. If our French friends need our help, the emergency services from Baden-Württemberg stand ready - side by side, across borders.
