Devastating 'fire thunderstorm' fuelled by its own wind and lightning threatens Bordeaux, as more than 330,000 people flee homes - and it is set to get worse
Bordeaux's Mayor says the blaze is 'at the gates of the metropolitan area' - but that there are no plans to evacuate the city itself.
Holidaymakers have been warned not to travel to Bordeaux after a huge wildfire spread to the outskirts of the French city, with officials admitting the blaze is "not under control" in what they describe as an "unprecedented" crisis.
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Around 260,000 people have been evacuated across France, including almost 220,000 in the Gironde department, where fast-spreading fires have ripped through the Cap Ferret peninsula before pushing inland towards Bordeaux.
An additional 36,000 people have been forced to flee as another major wildfire began in the nearby Landes region.
Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the blaze was now “at the gates of the metropolitan area”, about 15 km (9 miles) from the city's outskirts, in the heart of the country's winelands.
He stressed that there were currently no plans to evacuate the city itself.
The Bordeaux blaze has caused an unprecedented 'pyrocumulonimbus' - a gigantic fire cloud that creates its own weather system, bringing winds and lightning that cause even more fires on the arid ground.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, who have been battling the fire for days now, 38C temperatures threaten to spread the flames even further in the days to come.
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French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said: "We have a fire that is not under control and which is moving in the direction of the city area,"
"The overall situation is very unfavourable; we are in a situation that is unprecedented," he added.
The warning comes at the height of the summer holiday season, with Bordeaux and its surrounding areas among France's most popular destinations for tourists.
Sophie Brocas, Nouvelle-Aquitaine's prefect, has urged holidaymakers to stay away:
"Quite frankly, I strongly urge tourists, on the eve of the August holiday period, not to come—to avoid travelling to Gironde, at least until the fire has been brought under control".
She also appealed to tourists already in the area to consider leaving, because, she said: "we're not immune from the situation worsening, which could force us to speed up further evacuations".
French authorities have already introduced measures to incentivise tourists to cancel plans, including offering fee free refunds and cancellations for rail services.
Transport minister Philippe Tabarot said SNCF's exceptional refund policy will remain in place until 31 July, allowing affected passengers to rearrange their travel without penalty.
In a post on X, he wrote: "The affected travellers will be able to postpone their trip, exchange their ticket, or cancel it, without fees".
Ms Brocas revealed one person had been arrested for smoking in woodland while two others were detained after lighting a barbecue in the forest.
"We are appalled; their behaviour is unacceptable and criminal," she said.
She added that evacuated residents will not be able to go home until the fire is contained "and at the moment it is not".
Ms Brocas said: "This fire is an unpredictable phenomenon which combines fire, thunderstorms and wind.
"This phenomenon occurs primarily in the late afternoon and at night, in an unpredictable manner, and has unforeseen consequences. With all these uncertainties, the operation is even more complicated."
French President Emmanuel Macron is due to chair an interministerial crisis meeting on Monday morning as the government races to respond to the escalating emergency.
The French leader thanked firefighters, soldiers, civil protection teams and farmers who have been working around the clock to tackle the blazes."We will rebuild, we will repair, and we will be there as long as it takes," he wrote on X.
Dans ces heures où les flammes éprouvent durement notre pays, la France révèle ce qu’elle est : un peuple uni, qui se serre les coudes.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 25, 2026
Merci à nos sapeurs-pompiers, à nos militaires, aux forces de sécurité civile, à nos gendarmes et policiers, ainsi qu’aux agriculteurs… pic.twitter.com/DFzPt8vSYM
Flights to and from Bordeaux airport are still operational, albeit with delays.
The airport said it is "doing everything it can to provide the region with all the necessary support in the ongoing fight against the fires".
"Commercial flights are operating as normal," its website added. "In coordination with the relevant authorities, priority is currently being given to departing flights."