Overview
- The fires began on Tuesday and have spread through Gironde and Landes, with officials reporting about 10,000 hectares destroyed and firefighting operations still active.
- Authorities have ordered large-scale evacuations that officials say now cover hundreds of thousands of people, including tens of thousands from the Cap Ferret peninsula.
- France has asked for help through the European Union civil protection mechanism and is using water‑bombing aircraft as shifting winds keep the fires volatile.
- Residents and visitors described chaotic exits by road and by boat and some evacuees, including Georgia Toffolo and James Watt, said they left Cap Ferret by boat and stayed overnight at an airport; reports also note firefighter injuries.
- The blazes come as Spain battles major fires near Madrid and Europe’s overall burned area this year is unusually high, creating regional strain on aerial and ground firefighting resources.