Gironde: Ministerial decree aims to speed up cleanup after major wildfire

Bordeaux – 05/08/2026: Following the major fire in Gironde, a ministerial decree is expected to officially recognize the damage as a disaster of major magnitude later this week. Prefect Sophie Brocas announced this after a meeting with representatives of the forestry sector. The legal measure is intended above all to accelerate salvage logging in stands that were severely weakened by the fire.

The recognition concerns the exceptional economic and forestry consequences of the fire, which had affected large parts of the department since 22 July. According to the Gendarmerie, more than 32,000 hectares had already burned in Gironde by 25 July. Numerous municipalities around Bordeaux and on the Cap-Ferret peninsula were temporarily affected by evacuations.

Salvage logging is used to remove severely damaged or dead trees from forest stands. In the case of burned or heavily weakened pines, rapid action can prevent the timber from losing further value or pests from spreading. For forest owners and companies in the regional timber industry, this is therefore about far more than cleanup: they must secure usable timber while also limiting consequential damage in the remaining stands.

The announced ministerial decree should be distinguished from the standard recognition of a natural disaster for insurance purposes. According to the prefecture, it is intended to take account of the exceptional scale of the forest damage and facilitate administrative procedures for the affected areas. Details on possible funding, eligible parties or deadlines were not initially known. The exact geographical scope of the decree has also not yet been published.

The consequences of the fire extend beyond the areas directly destroyed. Smoke can cause health problems even at greater distances, especially for people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. The Gironde Departmental Council states that air quality is being continuously monitored and that particularly vulnerable people should follow the recommended protective measures.

Security forces were deployed on a large scale during the fire emergency. According to official information, more than 900 gendarmes were mobilized in Gironde. They assisted with evacuations, kept transport routes clear for emergency services and secured evacuated areas. The cause of the fire continues to be investigated by the investigative unit in Lesparre-Medoc.

With the announced recognition, work is increasingly shifting from the acute firefighting phase to assessing and restoring the damage. Forestry specialists must now determine which trees need to be felled and which stands can recover. As of 5 August, the ministerial decree had not yet been published; the prefecture had announced that it would be signed during the week.