French authorities have ordered nearly 4,000 people to evacuate from tourist sites along the Atlantic coast as a massive wildfire threatens areas west of Bordeaux. The blaze, now considered France’s largest peacetime evacuation, has caused significant disruption.

Fire Status and Evacuations

The fire in the Gironde region remained stable overnight, with flare-ups near coastal dunes controlled. The burned area covers 420 square kilometers (162 square miles). Although the fire is stabilized, it is not fully contained. Rising temperatures and decreasing humidity pose a risk of reignition.

New flames emerged near Grand Crohot beach on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, where firefighters, supported by aircraft, worked to contain the spread. Close to 330,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain due to wildfires. Spain is bracing for its fourth heat wave this summer, with several uncontrolled fires burning.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has indicated that this evacuation effort might be the country’s largest outside of wartime. The Gironde fire alone has displaced 220,000 people, burning an area four times the size of Paris.

Tourists Uncertain

Precautionary evacuations impacted campsites, holiday villages, and tourist areas around Lacanau. Despite warnings and nearby fires, some tourists remained, refusing to abandon expensive holidays.

Fire’s Intensity and Weather Effects

The Gironde blaze created a black thundercloud, known as a pyrocumulonimbus, causing lightning and new fires. This phenomenon was recorded for the first time in France.

France’s weather service has issued a yellow heat warning, forecasting temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). This year, France has seen 1,160 square kilometers (448 square miles) burned due to wildfires. According to Copernicus, Europe is warming at twice the global average, with intense heat and dryness driving the spread of fires.

Efforts to Control the Fire

In Le Porge, local government reported that 150 homes were destroyed. Officials caution that smoldering vegetation and weather conditions could spark new fires. Crews completed 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks to prevent further spread.

Injuries have been reported among firefighters, with 93 sustaining injuries while combating the blaze.

Progress in Spain

Spanish authorities allowed 20,000 evacuees to return home as firefighters stopped the advance of some fires. The largest fire in recorded history in Ávila, west of Madrid, has burned more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles).

The Spanish government declared a national emergency due to the fires. At least 13 people have died in fires this year, marking 2026 as one of Spain’s deadliest fire seasons.

Concerns remain for two large fires near Madrid, which threaten to merge. David Gonzalez, aiding firefighters, expressed profound anger at the destruction around his home.

Calls for Action

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is advocating for a national strategy to combat wildfires, citing climate change as a worsening factor.

Reporting contributed by Adamson from Paris, with additional inputs from Wilson in Barcelona and Sullivan in Brunete.