Authorities in southwestern France initiated a complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a prominent Atlantic coastal holiday destination, after an “intense and highly unpredictable” wildfire began advancing toward the area. The Gironde prefecture coordinated the removal of residents and tourists by both sea and land routes, with boats ferrying people from four piers on Thursday as the fire consumed more than 10,000 hectares by Friday morning. Approximately 40,000 individuals, including tourists at campsites and rental properties, were already evacuated or facing imminent evacuation.
Fire suppression efforts involved roughly 800 firefighters and four water-bombing aircraft attempting to contain the blaze, which originated near the village of Saumos, approximately 40 kilometers from Bordeaux. The fire broke out Wednesday and remained uncontrolled by Friday, with eighty structures destroyed and numerous roads closed to non-essential traffic. A second significant fire in the region near Biscarrosse had burned through 2,500 hectares and prompted the evacuation of approximately 23,000 people, including residents from campsites, holiday homes, a children’s summer camp, and an elderly residential facility.
The extreme fire activity reflected broader environmental conditions affecting the region. France had experienced three consecutive heatwaves since May, contributing to tinder-dry conditions that, combined with strong winds, enabled flames to reach heights of 10 meters. By Friday, 32 wildfires of varying sizes burned across France, with 50,000 hectares charred—nearly four times the total recorded by the same date the previous year. President Emmanuel Macron activated the European Union’s civil protection mechanism, securing aircraft and helicopters from Croatia, Portugal, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Broader impacts extended beyond France. Spain declared a national emergency Thursday night following simultaneous wildfires near Madrid and in Ávila province, forcing over 10,000 evacuations. Regional officials characterized the situation as one of “extreme gravity,” noting that at least four active fires could exceed current suppression capabilities. European forest fire data indicated that approximately twice as much land had burned by the reported date compared to the average for that period over the preceding two decades.
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