Forest fires in Gironde: a retirement home evacuated as a precaution in Arès

Arès – 25 July 2026: Due to the ongoing tense situation caused by forest fires in Gironde, a nursing home in Arès was evacuated as a precaution. According to Franceinfo, the residents were transferred to a more northern part of the department. This measure is intended to protect elderly and dependent people from a possible approach of the flames and exposure to smoke.

Arès is located on the northeastern shore of Arcachon Bay and is among the municipalities for which evacuation measures were ordered due to the spread of the fire. The transfer from the facility was carried out with special safety measures. During such operations, medical support, medication, mobility aids, and accommodation for residents must be ensured at all times.

The large fire in Gironde had spread since Wednesday, 22 July 2026, in a densely wooded region north of Arcachon Bay. According to authorities and the AFP news agency, numerous people were moved to safety as a precaution in the department. Evacuations were also prepared or already carried out in other care and health facilities in the region.

The prefecture had ordered protective measures for Arès, Andernos-les-Bains, Saumos, Le Temple, and certain areas of the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula. The situation remains difficult to predict due to dry vegetation, wind, and possible weather changes. Firefighters, the gendarmerie, municipalities, and emergency services are coordinating transport, the reception of evacuees, and the securing of affected areas.

For elderly people, a short-notice transfer represents a particular burden. This is why caregivers and medical staff are closely involved in the transfers. In light of the fire situation, the health authority for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region had activated a specific crisis mode for health and care facilities in order to provide additional capacity and coordinated care.

Authorities are calling on residents and vacationers to strictly follow instructions on site, not to enter closed areas, and to obtain information only through official alert channels. People who are not directly affected by an evacuation order should keep roads clear for emergency vehicles and not tie up emergency numbers for general inquiries.

The possibility and date of the return of the nursing home residents in Arès will depend on the development of the fire and decisions by the operations command. Protecting the population remains the priority. For relatives of transferred residents, the relevant care facilities and municipalities are the main contacts for confirmed information.