Wildfire now nine miles from Bordeaux - as mayor bracing for 'all eventualities'

Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google

Firefighters near Bordeaux are trying to take advantage of a brief spell of favourable weather conditions to bring the flames there under control.

The French fires, which broke out near the Atlantic coast last week, are now just 9 miles (15km) from entry points into Bordeaux’s main metropolitan area.

"We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered," said Thomas Cazenave - who added he is bracing for "all eventualities".

Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting the fire-ravaged area in the Gironde region, said the country was facing a "completely unprecedented wildfire" - the "toughest since World War Two".

Around 220,000 people, including tourists and local residents, have been evacuated in France, while about 100,000 people in Spain have been told to leave their homes or seek shelter, authorities said.

Holidaymakers have been warned not to travel to the city after the huge blaze spread towards its outskirts, with officials admitting the blaze is "not under control" in what they describe as an "unprecedented" crisis.

Read more: UK braced for more wildfires as fourth heatwave looms

Read more: Government offers military support to battle Cairngorms wildfire

Local official Sophie Brocas said the Gironde fire was “unlike anything we have ever seen in France”, warning it was following “its own logic rather than any known pattern”.

She said its constantly changing behaviour was forcing firefighters to adapt their tactics and warned the blaze was “not over” and remained “extremely dangerous”.

“Our absolute priority is saving lives,” she continued.

Lt Col David Annotel added the Gironde fire could take “several weeks or months” to be fully extinguished, with further reinforcements expected from across France.

He said crews had a two-to-three-day window to make progress before the returning heatwave makes conditions more difficult again.

Firefighters are cutting down trees to create firebreaks and deprive the flames of fuel, in a desperate bid to restrict the spread of the wildfire.

The Prince of Wales said “devastating” wildfires across Europe are a “stark reminder of the challenges posed by an increasingly extreme climate”.

In a personally signed message on social media, William wrote: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating wildfires across France, Spain and the UK.

“We are deeply grateful to the firefighters, emergency services and volunteers working tirelessly in extraordinarily difficult conditions.

“These events are a stark reminder of the challenges posed by an increasingly extreme climate and the importance of protecting both people and nature.”

In Spain, crews face an additional danger in Vall d’Uixó, in the eastern Castellón province, where the ground contains old ordnance from the Spanish Civil War that explodes when the flames reach the area.

The European Commission said the wildfire season began in April and could run until early November, with EU crisis response commissioner Hadja Lahbib warning this year’s destruction could surpass previous records.

Brussels has sent seven planes and four helicopters to France, as well as six planes and three forest firefighting teams to Spain, after both countries activated the EU’s emergency assistance mechanism.

President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the wildfire-hit region of south-western France later on Monday to support firefighters and local officials.

EU officials have also been sent to the Bordeaux region, where the Gironde mega-fire has burned an area four times the size of Paris.

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.

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.

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."