Nearly 20,000 people have been forced to flee an intense wildfire on France’s southwestern Atlantic coast, as a brutal heatwave scorches southern Europe and a marine heatwave warms parts of the Mediterranean well above seasonal norms.
According to the BBC, most of those evacuated were tourists from campsites and holiday homes around Arcachon Bay in the Gironde region, west of Bordeaux. The Guardian reported that more than 18,800 people were moved to safety as firefighters struggled to bring the “particularly intense” blaze under control.
Al Jazeera reported that the fire near Bordeaux had burned approximately 3,100 hectares (7,660 acres) of forest. About 800 firefighters, alongside hundreds of gendarmes and soldiers, were deployed to battle the flames, according to Al Jazeera.
The fires are unfolding against a backdrop of extreme temperatures across the region. The Guardian reported that some parts of the Mediterranean Sea were 5C hotter than normal, with air temperatures above 44C expected in Spain. Researchers cited by the outlet warned that “Dantesque” scenarios could not be ruled out as the blazes worsen.
The Gironde region has proven especially vulnerable to wildfires in recent years, with its extensive pine forests and popular coastal tourist areas becoming flashpoints during periods of prolonged heat and drought.
The evacuations centred on the Arcachon Bay area, a heavily frequented summer destination, disrupting peak-season tourism as authorities prioritised moving thousands of holidaymakers away from the advancing fire.
Emergency services continue to work to contain the blaze, while forecasters warn that persistent high temperatures across Spain, France, and the wider Mediterranean could heighten the risk of further fires in the days ahead.