Gironde back on red alert for forest fires as heat peaks near 38°C
France's Gironde department was placed on red vigilance for forest fire risk on 8 August, with Météo-France forecasting heat peaks near 38°C, days after a mega fire burned 42,000 hectares and forced over 220,000 evacuations.
Red alert reinstated
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas raised the forest-fire alert to "vigilance rouge" (level 4 on a 5-level scale, described as "very high" risk), effective noon on Saturday, 8 August 2026. The decision was taken "in view of the unfavorable meteorological evolution," with Météo-France forecasting heat peaks approaching 38°C in the South-West. The red alert is the fourth level on France's five-tier forest-fire vigilance scale and triggers reinforced prevention and restriction measures under the interdepartmental regulation for forest fire protection. The department had previously been at this level during the July fire crisis before being lowered, only to be escalated again as conditions deteriorated.
- Mega fire starts at Saumos, west of Bordeaux
- Mega fire declared 'fixed' by authorities
- Gironde placed on red vigilance (level 4 of 5) for forest fire risk
- 13 departments on orange heatwave alert
Restrictions imposed
The red alert bans festive, sporting, and cultural events in the exposed areas of communes with a dominant forest character. Across the entire department, several activities susceptible to causing fires are prohibited: using a blowtorch for brush clearing, deploying flying lanterns, burning green waste, and setting off fireworks. Public fireworks displays remain permitted only when initiated from a beach, outside exposed zones, and directed seaward. The prefecture detailed that the decision entails the reinforcement of prevention and restriction measures provided for by the interdepartmental forest fire protection regulation. These measures apply across all of Gironde, not only in the zones directly affected by the July blaze.
The July mega fire
The heightened alert follows a mega fire that started on 22 July at Saumos, west of Bordeaux, and was declared "fixed" on 1 August. The blaze burned 42,000 hectares, an area equivalent to four times the size of Paris. It destroyed 240 houses and forced the evacuation of more than 220,000 people. Authorities consider it the most devastating fire in the department since 1949. Though classified as "mastered" by authorities, the fire remains under close surveillance as hot, dry conditions return to the region. The scale of the July disaster, combined with the renewed meteorological threat, drove the prefect's decision to escalate the alert level.
Broader heatwave context
Thirteen departments were placed on orange heatwave alert (vigilance orange canicule) for Sunday, 9 August, as extreme heat persisted across southern and western France. The combination of high temperatures and dry conditions created conditions favorable to new fire outbreaks across the region. Météo-France's forecast of temperatures nearing 38°C in the South-West was a key factor in the decision to raise Gironde's alert level.
Official response
Sophie Brocas framed the measures as preventive in a press communiqué, urging individual responsibility from residents and visitors alike.
This new meteorological deterioration requires us to strengthen our level of vigilance. The shift to red vigilance calls on everyone to exercise the greatest responsibility. These measures have a simple objective: to prevent any new fire from starting, to protect populations and property.
The prefecture emphasized that the restrictions aim to prevent new fire outbreaks while the earlier mega fire, though mastered, continues to be monitored. The department remains on high alert as weather conditions are expected to stay challenging through the weekend, with the orange heatwave vigilance extending into Sunday across 13 departments.
