About 12,000 people have been evacuated from southwestern France, while authorities have begun evacuating another 8,800 people, due to the spread of massive fires in the Gironde region (ZH-HIRO-NDE), near the Bay of Arcachon. (Ah-ker –shon) According to the French fire service, the flames have so far burned about 3,100 hectares of land. Most of the evacuees are tourists staying at campsites on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula (Lezha kap fehrre), while the latest evacuations are taking place as a precautionary measure at other campsites in the area.
Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said about 10,000 tourists were evacuated from campsites overnight, while evacuations in the main village of the campsite were proceeding peacefully. She stressed that no injuries had been reported so far, although some forest areas and roads were closed for safety reasons.
The head of the Gironde fire service said that teams had been working non-stop throughout the night and warned that the situation remained critical due to rising temperatures and strong winds, factors that make the spread of the flames difficult to predict.
The situation is further aggravated after two French firefighters lost their lives earlier this week while extinguishing another fire near Bordeaux airport.
Meanwhile, fires have also engulfed other European countries. In Italy, a firefighter died while battling blazes in the Sicily region, where authorities are reporting more than 350 fires, 10 of which are considered major and have forced precautionary evacuations. Italian authorities suspect that most of the fires are man-made.
Spain is also facing extreme temperatures and numerous fires. In the area near Toledo, authorities have evacuated residents after the spread of flames that have burned about 890 hectares. Meanwhile, the largest fire this year in the Guadalajara region has destroyed more than 35 thousand hectares, although residents have begun to return to their homes. Europe is experiencing another summer with record temperatures. According to a report published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2025 was one of the hottest on record on the continent, while the area burned by fires and their emissions reached record levels. The report highlights that Europe remains the continent that is warming the fastest in the world.
