After Forest Fire in Gironde: First Campsite Residents Return

Lège-Cap-Ferret – 04.08.2026: Following the large-scale forest fire in Gironde, residents and seasonal workers are gradually returning to campsites in Lège-Cap-Ferret. As reported by Franceinfo, they are able to enter their mobile homes again for the first time several days after the evacuation. Many accommodations were spared by the flames. Other returnees are finding damaged property or discovering that personal belongings can no longer be salvaged.

The fire broke out on 22 July in the Saumos area and spread toward Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret in the following days. Due to the rapid development of the blaze, authorities ordered evacuations. At the time, the municipality of Lège-Cap-Ferret stated that a return to evacuated areas would only be possible once there was no longer any immediate danger. The fire is now considered contained.

With access routes reopening, those affected now have their first opportunity to assess the condition of their accommodations themselves. For holidaymakers, mobile homes may be temporary lodgings, but for many residents and seasonal employees, they are the center of their lives for weeks or months. They store clothing, documents, work materials and keepsakes there. Franceinfo accordingly describes returns marked by relief over buildings that were spared and shock at visible losses.

On 24 July, the municipality stated that, based on the information available at the time, no homes outside the directly affected areas of the peninsula had been damaged. At the same time, the local administration contacted owners of buildings affected by the fire. However, this preliminary assessment did not replace an inspection of individual plots and mobile homes at the holiday sites.

During the operation, the Gironde Departmental Council called on people to avoid the affected forest and coastal areas. Roads and cycle paths were closed because of firefighting work and ongoing hazards. The restrictions were intended to ensure clear access for emergency crews and prevent people from being endangered by smoke, heat, smoldering hotspots or damaged vegetation.

The return therefore does not yet mean a regular resumption of holiday operations. First, residents and operators must determine which accommodations remain usable and which damage needs to be documented. This may also involve insurance claims and organizational issues for people who are not yet able to return to their mobile homes. Seasonal workers are particularly hard hit when their accommodation, personal possessions and working lives are affected at the same time.

The fire kept Saumos, Le Temple, Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret on alert for days. For the first returnees, the detailed assessment of damage now begins: plot by plot, accommodation by accommodation.