Wildfire approaches Bordeaux – city not being evacuated for now

Bordeaux – 26 July 2026: An evacuation of Bordeaux has not currently been ordered. On Sunday, the wildfire in Gironde was temporarily around 15 kilometers from the metropolitan area. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the fire had once again developed fiercely and unpredictably overnight, spreading toward the urban area. By morning, the situation had temporarily calmed down.

Authorities continue to regard the threat as acute. Nuñez described the overall situation as highly unfavorable. Under the influence of shifting winds, the fire at times created its own local wind system. Such dynamics make it difficult to predict its spread: flying embers and rapid changes in direction can create new fire hotspots and threaten areas previously considered less at risk.

According to consistent reports, the fire in Gironde has already affected around 42,000 hectares. Since evacuations began, some 220,000 people are said to have left their homes or places of residence. The figure relates to several affected areas and does not mean that Bordeaux has been completely evacuated. Municipalities around the Bassin d’Arcachon and suburbs west of the metropolitan area had previously been evacuated as a precaution.

Protective measures now extend to the area around Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport. Following a decision by the prefecture, the hotel zone there has been evacuated until further notice. Authorities are responding to the fire’s proximity to densely populated areas, major transport routes and critical infrastructure. The boundaries of evacuation zones are continuously adjusted to the movement of the fire front.

The interior minister had already pointed to the exceptional strain on national emergency services on 24 July. At that time, according to his ministry, more than 50,000 hectares had burned in France since the beginning of the year, with 32 other fires active. For Gironde, the ministry reported 10,000 hectares of burned land and 40,000 ordered or planned evacuations at that point.

The fire brigade and gendarmerie are focusing on protecting the population, clearing threatened areas and securing access routes. For the first days of the fire, the gendarmerie had already confirmed 20,000 precautionary evacuations in the Bassin d’Arcachon area.

The fact that the fire is repeatedly moving toward Bordeaux therefore does not automatically lead to the evacuation of the entire city. However, it forces authorities to make short-notice decisions for individual areas. The airport, surrounding transport connections and settlements west of the metropolitan area remain particularly at risk. The hotel zone at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport remains evacuated following the prefecture’s decision.