Wildfires in Gironde: New Evacuations Ordered Near Bordeaux

Bordeaux – 26 July 2026: After a major wildfire flared up again in Gironde, authorities ordered further evacuations around Bordeaux overnight. The prefect of Gironde and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Sophie Brocas, justified the move by citing the spread of the fire despite extensive firefighting efforts. The situation continued to be assessed as very serious overnight.

The fire broke out on Wednesday, 22 July, near Saumos, around 60 kilometres northwest of Bordeaux. According to TF1 and the AFP news agency, the blaze had affected at least 32,700 hectares by Sunday night. The renewed spread shows that areas where fires have already been fought can become active again under unfavourable conditions. Emergency crews are continuing their work on the ground and from the air.

The Interior Ministry had already reported an exceptionally high strain on emergency services on Friday, 24 July. Nationwide, more than 50,000 hectares had been affected by fires since the start of the year at that point, while 32 fires were being fought simultaneously. For Gironde, the ministry reported 40,000 people who had already been evacuated or ordered to evacuate. The latest orders are further increasing that number in the region.

Bordeaux has expanded its reception and accommodation capacity. The city’s exhibition centre has been converted into an arrival centre for evacuees; initially, 5,000 to 6,000 places were planned there. Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the city could accommodate up to 10,000 people if necessary. According to him, an evacuation of the city of Bordeaux itself had not been ordered as of 25 July.

Transport has also been affected by the exceptional situation. SNCF Voyageurs advised travellers to postpone journeys to areas of Gironde and Landes affected by the fires between 25 and 27 July whenever possible. Free rebooking or cancellation was made available for connections that had already been booked. This is intended to prevent rail passengers from entering areas where roads, emergency routes and accommodation are needed for disaster response.

The regional health authority, ARS, set up emergency psychological support for those affected. The prefecture referred people to the free hotline 0 800 719 912. Fire and security services continue to focus on protecting the evacuated population and limiting the further spread of the fires in the forested areas west and southwest of Bordeaux.