The fast-moving wildfire has forced at least 20,000 people and tourists to flee southwest France as firefighters battle one of the region’s most destructive blazes in several years.
The fire has spread to thousands of hectares of forest and emergency managers have placed mass evacuation orders in the area of the country.
I think the fire has so far been mostly in southwestern France, where fires spread quickly through forests and rural areas. Local firefighters have been working around the clock to prevent the fire from spreading into even more residential areas, said the French government.
French emergency services had deployed thousands of firefighters to slow the fire, backed by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters. This weather condition high winds and low humidity has been making containment efforts very difficult, officials said.
People living in the affected areas were told to leave quickly as thick smoke made it hard to see and posed serious health hazards. Evacuees are now in emergency shelters and local governments are setting up food, medical care and temporary housing for them, too.
A wildfire broke out in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France.
— T_CAS videos (@tecas2000) July 23, 2026
Flames reached the residential areas of the Lège-Cap-Ferret commune.
The fire continued advancing north of the basin.
Approximately 3,700 hectares burned. pic.twitter.com/LHQoECuVrv
There are also blocked roads, and access to forests and parks in the region is being restricted to allow emergency crews to work efficiently and ensure public safety. Travelers are advised to monitor official information about the situation before visiting the affected areas.
The fire has already burned a lot of forest, destroyed homes, and damaged agricultural land and local infrastructure. Long-term ecological damage and biodiversity loss would be severe, experts say.
France has been experiencing more frequent wildfires in the past few years as temperatures rise and longer periods of drought increase because of climate change, experts say. Southern and southwestern areas are particularly vulnerable during summer and firefighters need to beef up their preparedness and emergency response systems.
French officials have warned residents to be watchful and follow evacuation orders very carefully. Residents should not light fires or throw cigarette butts in dry vegetation, officials said.
Meteorologists warned that weather conditions could remain unfavorable over the next couple of days, and wildfires could continue to spread if winds worsen. Firefighters are expected to remain on high alert until the fire is fully contained.
France’s government has assured affected communities that all of its resources are being mobilized to combat the fire and support displaced families. Damage assessments will start when emergency crews can safely declare the affected areas safe.
People should always take official emergency alerts and don’t go to the disaster zone unless they need to, they say. If the fire continues to grow further evacuation will be ordered.
