Wildfires approach Bordeaux: Seven municipalities partially evacuated

Bordeaux – 25 July 2026: Wildfires in Gironde advanced to the western edge of the Bordeaux metropolitan area on Saturday. Authorities ordered precautionary partial evacuations in seven neighboring municipalities. Affected are Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, Saint-Jean-d’Illac, Martignas-sur-Jalle, Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc, Le Haillan, as well as areas outside the motorway ring road in Mérignac and Eysines.

The orders apply primarily to residential areas near woodland and follow the spread of the fires toward the urban area. They are locally limited protective measures, not an evacuation of the entire urban area. The affected municipalities are located along the western and northwestern developed edge of the metropolitan area, where residential neighborhoods and extensive vegetation areas lie close together.

Bordeaux Métropole has set up an emergency shelter at the Bordeaux-Lac exhibition grounds. According to the metropolitan authority, Hall 3 of the Parc des Expositions has been open since Thursday morning for people who had to leave campsites, holiday accommodation or homes in threatened areas. The responsible authorities are organizing registration, guidance and basic assistance for evacuees there.

The figure of 6,000 people accommodated mentioned in the live ticker could initially not be confirmed by another reliable source. Bordeaux Métropole and the AFP news agency put the number of evacuees received at the exhibition center by Saturday morning at around 3,500. As further evacuations may be ordered and people may also leave the shelter again, occupancy is subject to ongoing change.

The danger is not limited to the greater Bordeaux area. Several major vegetation fires are affecting southwestern France; in addition to Gironde, the neighboring département of Landes is also affected. The local prefecture reported on Friday that more than 23,000 people had been moved to safety as a precaution in the area around Biscarrosse and Parentis-en-Born. The measures covered homes, campsites, a nursing home and a holiday camp.

For the Bordeaux metropolitan area, the expansion of evacuations has immediate consequences. Roads must be kept clear for emergency services, people seeking shelter must be accommodated, and municipal aid services must be coordinated. The city and metropolitan authority called on residents to use the official reception centers and follow the prefecture’s instructions. Private assistance offers and donations are to be coordinated through municipal bodies so that only genuinely needed goods arrive at the shelters.

The Bordeaux-Lac exhibition center therefore remains the main point of contact for people from endangered areas. Which neighborhoods are evacuated depends on the spread of the fires and local decisions by the incident command.