Wildfire near Cap Ferret: Images show the scale of the destruction

Lège-Cap-Ferret – 25 July 2026: New footage from the Gironde shows the consequences of the wildfire that has been changing the landscape north of the Bassin d’Arcachon since 22 July. Charred pine forests, veils of smoke and wide firebreaks dominate the images from the area between Saumos, Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret. The documentation makes visible what figures alone can barely convey: the fire has profoundly affected a densely forested coastal region that is heavily visited in summer.

By Friday, 24 July, the fire had affected more than 10,000 hectares, according to regional authorities. At least six homes were destroyed. Over a distance of around ten kilometres, the flames moved towards the Cap Ferret peninsula, approaching a holiday and residential area whose narrow transport routes offer only limited alternatives in an emergency.

The prefecture therefore ordered the phased evacuation of the entire Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula. According to local information, the precautionary measure affected around 20,000 people. On 24 July, the municipality said that the evacuation could last several days and that residents should not return to their homes for the time being. Reception centres were set up for those affected.

Around 800 firefighters from different parts of France were deployed on Friday. They fought the flames on the ground and from the air. The footage captures both the fire fronts and the terrain after they passed through: blackened forest areas, severely damaged vegetation and firebreaks where the familiar contours of the landscape have disappeared.

The consequences extend beyond the loss of large forest areas. Roads, residential neighbourhoods and tourist facilities are located in a region that is particularly busy during the summer season. Evacuations and firefighting operations must be organised there under great time pressure, while residents and holidaymakers need safe accommodation and reliable information.

The municipality appealed to people outside the evacuation zones to avoid the operational area and keep access routes clear for emergency services. In the event of blocked roads, there is also an evacuation plan by sea, agreed by the Gironde Prefecture and the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture in 2023. It takes account of the peninsula’s particular risk: in the event of a rapidly advancing wildfire, escape via the few road connections alone can become too dangerous.

The published images document the situation as of 25 July, while firefighting operations were continuing. Between Saumos and Cap Ferret, large areas remained marked by ash, smoke traces and burned stands of pine trees.