The largest fire France has experienced in peacetime, which has been raging for almost a week in southwestern France, is now about twenty kilometers from Bordeaux. Although it remained stabilized on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, some hotspots have reactivated, forcing the preventive evacuation of about 4,000 tourists who were staying in campsites and holiday residences in Lacanau, about 50 kilometers west of the city.
Despite the brief respite over the last two days, the fire is far from being controlled and the weather forecasts from this Tuesday are unfavorable, as a new heat wave — the fourth in France — begins with rising temperatures especially in the south of the country, which, combined with the wind, will not facilitate extinction and could rekindle the flames.
The prefect of the Gironde department, Sophie Brocas, has ordered the preventive evacuation of 4,000 tourists in Lacanau due to this unfavorable outlook and also because some hotspots have reactivated in the area and in Lege-Cap-Ferret, on the coast. The measure, the prefecture explained in a statement, does not affect residents and only concerns campsites, tourist residences, and leisure parks “due to their fragility: tents, caravans, or wooden structures.” The prefect has also banned sports and cultural events throughout the territory until next Saturday, when temperatures are expected to drop.
It has been almost a week since this fire broke out, believed to be caused by the activity of a clearing machine, and the flames have already devastated 42,000 hectares and destroyed 240 houses. It has not advanced since Sunday, despite the fire restarting in some hotspots (the already burned area is not counted again). Since Thursday, 220,000 people have been evacuated preventively in 24 municipalities, some just a few kilometers from Bordeaux.
There are 2,750 firefighters working to contain it, supported by 1,500 military personnel and 1,440 gendarmes who mainly assist with evacuations. In addition, significant aerial resources are deployed, including 18 water bombers and drones. The government has sent an Airbus 400M to the area, a military transport plane with much more power than the Canadairs and used for the first time in firefighting. Despite the significant deployment, the fire remains uncontrolled, and in recent days many volunteers, mostly farmers, have joined the efforts, guided by firefighters and gendarmes.
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The coming hours, with temperatures that may reach 40 degrees, will be decisive. As authorities and firefighters have pointed out in recent days, this is not a normal fire but an unprecedented and unpredictable phenomenon that feeds itself both day and night, has a life of its own, and creates its own wind currents.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Monday during a visit to Bordeaux that this is the largest fire since World War II and that the coming weeks will be difficult, urging unity at this time. The entire opposition, from the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen to the left of La France Insoumise of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has criticized in recent days the lack of anticipation and the cuts made in civil security.
The other most devastating and deadly fire France has experienced was the 1949 Landes de Gascogne fire, which burned 50,000 hectares and killed 89 people. In recent days, 99 firefighters have been injured during firefighting efforts. Thanks to preventive evacuations, no further human casualties have been reported. Even before the end of July, the flames have destroyed 116,000 hectares across the country since January, making this year the worst in history in terms of fires.
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