Foundation calls for donations after wildfires in Gironde and Landes

Bordeaux – 31 July 2026: Following the severe wildfires in the departments of Gironde and Landes, the French heritage foundation, Fondation du patrimoine, has called for donations for the damaged forests. It aims to raise a total of two million euros. The funds are intended to support projects that restore affected areas, protect them and make them more resilient to future fires.

The appeal is part of a nationwide emergency fundraising campaign that the foundation had already launched in July. It is aimed at individuals, companies and municipalities. Unlike immediate disaster relief, the initiative addresses the long-term consequences of the fires: it is intended to fund measures that secure soils, stabilize forest ecosystems and support the regeneration of destroyed stands.

The fires triggered extensive evacuations in Gironde and Landes and an exceptionally large deployment of emergency and security forces. The National Gendarmerie reported on 25 July that more than 1,200 gendarmes had been deployed in the two departments. They assisted with evacuations, cordoned off endangered areas and kept access roads clear for firefighters and emergency services.

According to its own information, French Civil Protection was also active in the region with more than 300 volunteers. The helpers operated emergency shelters, supported the evacuation of people at risk from medical and social care facilities, and distributed water and other relief supplies. In addition to fighting the fires, authorities therefore had to organize assistance for people who had temporarily left their homes.

The foundation cites the ecological and regional importance of forests as the reason for its fundraising campaign. According to its figures, around 31 percent of France’s territory is forested. After a major fire, however, it is not enough simply to plant new trees. First, damage to soils and remaining stands must be assessed, and areas must be secured against erosion. It must then be determined which tree species are suitable under the respective local and climatic conditions. The development of young stands must be monitored over a period of years.

The foundation launched a similar donation programme in mid-July after a fire in the Forest of Fontainebleau near Paris. There, it works with, among others, the National Forestry Office, the City of Fontainebleau and the Chateau de Fontainebleau, as well as the Seine-et-Marne department and the Ile-de-France region. The new initiative now directs aid specifically towards the severely affected areas in the southwest.

Which projects receive funding in Gironde and Landes will depend on the actual condition of the areas and local needs. The donation appeal thus links the recovery from fire damage with the long-term care of the affected forest landscapes.