France stabilises Bordeaux blaze as Germany deploys helicopters before new heat wave strikes

Fire status and overnight change

French authorities said the wildfire burning in the Gironde department had been "stabilised" overnight into Monday, halting its advance toward the city of Bordeaux after light overnight rain, lower winds, and cooler temperatures. The prefecture reported "no significant developments" during the night. The fire had previously reached within 15 kilometres of the Bordeaux urban area on Sunday, having started on Wednesday in Saumos and spreading toward the Cap-Ferret peninsula and the Arcachon basin. Firefighters remained on high alert with full resources deployed.

The fire is stabilised but not yet contained.

Evacuations and tourism impact

Over 220,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde region, with the regional government suspending holiday camps, scout camps, and accessible stays, and recommending tourists "not to come" and "consider another destination." Mayor Thomas Cazenave of Bordeaux told Le Parisien he is preparing "for all scenarios" through midweek. Tourism Minister Serge Papin urged people to keep clear of the area, thanking hoteliers and Airbnb for providing free rooms to displaced residents. Rail links to the Basque country are severed, leaving Bordeaux as the terminus for high-speed trains.

Naturally, all tourists are urged not to visit the affected areas at this time.

International assistance arrives

Germany's Bundeswehr sent two CH-53 transport helicopters and an A400M transport aircraft with firefighting equipment and supplies to Cazaux military airport on Monday, following a formal request from French authorities. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said the government was filled with "great dismay" by the fires in France and Spain, and that Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in contact with President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The German deployment is initially limited to five days.

The devastating forest fires in France and Spain fill the German government with great dismay.

Looming heat wave and long fight

The fire service is bracing for a lengthy operation that could last weeks. Spokesman David Annotel told France-Info that the fires "will take us several weeks," likening the situation to a large pine-forest fire across the Arcachon basin in summer 2022 that required until late September to fully extinguish. Météo-France has forecast a new heat wave to begin Tuesday, with local temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius and peaking at 40 degrees in the southwest on Wednesday. Evacuation orders have now affected more than 250,000 people, according to the prefecture.