1,500 Soldiers Support Fight Against Wildfires Near Bordeaux

Bordeaux – 25 July 2026: France is intensifying its fight against wildfires in the southwest of the country. Starting Saturday evening, a total of 1,500 soldiers will support the fire service, the Ministry of the Armed Forces said. The move comes in response to the major fire that has been raging near Saumos in the Gironde department since Tuesday and has spread toward the greater Bordeaux area. The army is assisting with evacuations, protecting residential areas and industrial facilities, and securing critical infrastructure.

Authorities ordered precautionary evacuations in Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Martignas-sur-Jalle, Saint-Jean-d’Illac and Le Haillan. Parts of Eysines and Mérignac are also affected. According to authorities, around 167,000 people in Gironde and the neighboring Landes department have now had to leave their homes or holiday accommodations. The prefecture urged people to follow designated evacuation routes and under no circumstances return to restricted areas on their own.

By Saturday noon, the fire in Gironde had affected an area of 32,700 hectares, according to the prefecture. It continued to spread along a north-south axis, driven by southwesterly winds. Lower temperatures and higher humidity temporarily reduced its intensity. This allowed firefighting crews to tackle the flames more aggressively. However, the blaze was still not under control.

Even before the announced reinforcement, authorities said that 1,000 soldiers, 750 firefighters and 18 aircraft had been mobilized. Canadair and Dash firefighting aircraft, helicopters and light Air Tractor planes were deployed. They were joined by specialized military assets, including a Reaper reconnaissance drone system, medical teams and bulldozers. The army is primarily taking on supporting tasks so that fire service units can focus on directly fighting the fire and on particularly endangered sections.

For the first time, an Airbus A400M military transport aircraft was also used to drop fire retardant. On 23 July, the Interior Ministry said the aircraft would be equipped to carry up to 20 tonnes of firefighting agent as part of a joint project with Airbus. Although the system was still being tested, AFP reported that the A400M carried out its first mission over Lacanau on Saturday.

Bordeaux made the Parc des Expositions exhibition center available as emergency accommodation. At least 3,500 evacuees were housed there on Saturday. No evacuation is currently planned for Bordeaux itself, Mayor Thomas Cazenave said. However, the metropolitan area’s emergency plan has been activated to support affected municipalities with accommodation, traffic management and supplies.