Forest fire in Gironde: Around 20,000 people evacuated as a precaution

Saumos – 23 July 2026: A large-scale forest fire in Gironde continued to spread towards the Atlantic coast on Thursday. The blaze broke out on Wednesday, 22 July, in the municipality of Saumos and reached areas of Le Porge during the night. By evening, the fire remained active north of the Arcachon Basin. Emergency crews continued their operation under difficult conditions.

According to the situation report published by the fire and rescue service on Thursday evening, the blaze had affected around 3,700 hectares. As a precaution, approximately 20,000 people had been brought to safety since Wednesday evening. Residents as well as holidaymakers in particularly vulnerable areas were affected. On Thursday afternoon, authorities ordered additional evacuations in Claouey and at three campsites on the road to Cap Ferret.

By evening, no injuries or destroyed homes had been reported. However, this does not rule out danger: incident command continues to assess the situation as unfavourable. The flames spread through an extensive pine forest belonging to the Landes de Gascogne forest area. According to available reports, several hundred firefighters and aircraft were deployed to slow the spread and protect inhabited areas.

Heat, dry vegetation, low humidity and wind are particularly challenging. This combination can accelerate the spread of a vegetation fire and ignite new fire fronts through flying sparks. For Friday, 24 July, temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius and wind gusts of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour were expected in Gironde. Further developments therefore depend heavily on the weather and the success of firefighting efforts.

The widely visible smoke is also affecting air quality. Atmo Nouvelle-Aquitaine expects pollution from PM10 fine particles released by the fire on 23 July. According to the morning situation report, the smoke plume was moving mainly towards the coast. If the wind direction changes, the northern part of the Landes department could also be more severely affected.

The monitoring stations and forecasting models of the regional air-quality service are being continuously evaluated. People in the path of the smoke plume are advised to avoid contact with smoke as much as possible and to follow instructions from the prefecture and municipalities. Children, older people, pregnant women and people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are particularly sensitive. Medical advice is recommended if symptoms persist.

There is still no officially confirmed explanation for the cause of the fire. Reports of possible work equipment being used to maintain forest tracks have not been confirmed by the relevant authorities. The priority therefore remains protecting the evacuated population and stabilising the fire front. Authorities intend to adapt their situation updates to the progress of the operation.