Massive Gironde fire that forced 224,000 evacuations is no longer advancing, while 1,500 firefighters work to contain a new blaze in Provence
Lacanau, France: France’s massive wildfire near Bordeaux, which burned an area four times the size of Paris and forced 224,000 people to evacuate, remained contained on Sunday although firefighters continued efforts to extinguish lingering hot spots.
Authorities said the fire in the Gironde region scorched approximately 420 square kilometres over 10 days before its advance was halted over the weekend.
“The fire is now fixed, which does not mean that the fire is extinguished,” the Gironde prefecture said, using the French firefighting term for a blaze that has been successfully contained within its perimeter.
Despite the progress, the region remains under France’s highest red forest-fire alert due to dry conditions, high temperatures and strong winds that could reignite smouldering areas.
Around 3,000 firefighters remain deployed across two major fire zones in France, working to extinguish hot spots, establish firebreaks and secure affected areas. Reinforcements from Ukraine, Lithuania and French Polynesia were expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday.
The Gironde wildfire triggered one of the largest peacetime evacuations in modern French history, with many residents still unable to return to their homes.
Meanwhile, in the southeastern Var department, nearly 1,500 firefighters continued battling a separate wildfire in the Gros Bessillon hills, which burned around 18 square kilometres in little more than a day.
Authorities said the Provence fire was stabilised on Sunday morning, meaning it had not expanded overnight, but it had not yet been officially contained.
Firefighting aircraft assisted ground crews in preventing flames from reaching nearby villages surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and forested hills in the Green Provence region.
Approximately 2,500 people were evacuated as the fire threatened nearby communities.
The blaze is the fourth major wildfire to affect the central Var region since 19th July. Earlier this week, a separate fire near Brignoles forced hundreds of residents, including actor George Clooney and his family, to evacuate before it was brought under control.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said France’s major wildfires were generally under control but warned that conditions remained highly unpredictable.
He also announced the appointment of a national coordinator to oversee reconstruction efforts in fire-affected areas.
According to official figures, more than 1,170 square kilometres have burned across France since the start of the year.
