Wildfire now nine miles away from French city of Bordeaux, mayor warns
Thomas Cazenave says they are preparing if further evacuations are issued, as the mayor of a nearby town called the situation "catastrophic".
The mayor of Bordeaux has issued a warning that a wildfire is now just nine miles from the French city, as firefighters in Gironde confront an "unprecedented" and self-propagating blaze, according to the interior minister.
Thomas Cazenave, the mayor of Bordeaux, stated he is preparing for "all eventualities" as one of France's numerous wildfires approaches within approximately 15km (nine miles) of the southwestern city. "We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered," he confirmed.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the situation for firefighters in the Gironde region as "unprecedented," battling a fire that "has a life of its own."
Across France, around 220,000 people have been evacuated, with over 100,000 more in Spain, where fires are burning "uncontrolled" to the west of Madrid. A new intense heatwave predicted for Tuesday could further hinder firefighting efforts.
Jerome Steffe, the mayor of Cestas, a town south of Bordeaux, told the BBC that this "will be the fire of the century." He recounted how 17,000 residents were evacuated from his town overnight when the fire intensified two days prior. So far, the region has seen 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) of land burned and 240 houses destroyed. "In my city the situation is really catastrophic," he added.
While the fire's advance has slowed, Steffe noted that his teams have "won only a small battle," emphasizing the ongoing risk from flying embers or sudden wind shifts. "We put all our energy into creating protective firebreaks," he explained, admitting, "we are all scared in front of this situation."
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has cautioned that the country "is going through an unprecedented fire season." On Monday, Lecornu posted on X that "116,085 hectares [286,852 acres] have already burned and 13,566 fire starts have been recorded since January." He revealed that nine out of ten fires "are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution." However, he also stated that "not all these fires are accidents" and "some are deliberately set," noting 162 arrests since July 6.
President Emmanuel Macron is currently visiting fire-ravaged areas in Gironde to express support for firefighters and other response teams. Wildfires are also active in other French regions, including Var, Landes, and Haute-Corse on the island of Corsica.
In neighboring Spain, Monday marked the fifth day of a national emergency due to raging wildfires west of Madrid, which have transformed the village of Casavieja into a "car cemetery." BBC Verify's analysis of satellite imagery shows the wildfire west of Madrid has now impacted over 27,000 hectares. Satellite images from July 24 and 26 illustrate how the fire spread over two days as several blazes in the Almorox, Villa del Prado, and San Martín de Valdeiglesias areas merged into a single large fire, showing the rapid expansion of the burn scar. Local officials have warned that the region faces the "worst fires in its history."
Climate change is driving global temperature increases, with Europe warming twice as fast as the global average, making it the fastest-warming continent, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This trend is leading to more frequent summer heatwaves, increased pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires.