Bordeaux’s mayor has warned that the city is “ready for anything” as fast-moving wildfires continue to edge closer to the southwestern French metropolis.
More than 300,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain as intense wildfires rip through both countries, while Bordeaux is facing the possibility of a full evacuation affecting its 270,000 residents.
“We’re very vigilant. We’re ready for anything,” Bordeaux mayor Thomas Cazenave told reporters.
Speaking from a shelter set up for people forced from their homes by the fires, he said: “The fire is further south.”
“It is still on the edge of the metropolitan area, but it is not advancing on the western side of the metropolis,” he added, as emergency teams continued to monitor the threat to Bordeaux.
Firefighters battling the out-of-control blaze in southwestern France are said to be “overwhelmed” and increasingly “concerned about the city of Bordeaux” as the flames spread across the region.
Sebastien Berge, head of the Gironde firefighters union, said: “The firefighters are overwhelmed. When there’s a fire of this magnitude, it creates its own weather pattern… it’s difficult to monitor.”
More than 2,500 firefighters are battling a 20km-wide wall of flames as the wildfire advances towards Bordeaux in southwestern France
Bordeaux Council is considering a total evacuation of the city where more than 270,000 people live. So far, over 300,000 residents have been evacuated between France and Spain
‘Especially when there’s a fire front that stretches for more than 20km.
‘When you see how far it’s spreading, I think we can now be concerned about the city of Bordeaux.’
While Mr Cazenave said there were no current plans to evacuate the UNESCO-listed city, the local council said earlier it had been considering a ‘total evacuation of the city if needed’.
Around 270,000 people live in the city proper of Bordeaux, with more than 830,000 in the Bordeaux Métropole urban area, which includes 28 connected local towns.
Thousands have already been evacuated from their villages close to the city that sits at the heart of the famous French wine-growing region.
Smoke from the inferno has already been billowing into the sky above the city and sinking into its streets, which has caused concern over residents who may be hit with respiratory problems.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Sunday the wildfire situation in southwestern France was ‘very unfavourable’.
‘Another difficult night on the wildfire front,’ Mr Nuñez said on X. ‘The situation remains very unfavourable,’ he said.
A total of 2,500 firefighters, including a Swiss firefighting team, 1,500 military personnel and around 1,200 police have been deployed to battle the blazes in the southwestern region of Gironde, he said.
Bordeaux Council is currently planning for different scenarios that could unfold as the fire tears through the country towards the city, including the total evacuation of the city.
The first death of the wildfires was recorded yesterday in Spain, where a man – believed to be in his 70s – was found in a car in a ravine in the Spanish town of Manises near Valencia following a forest fire in the area, according to the local fire brigade.
In France, a further 55,000 people were ordered to evacuate late last night, taking the total to 250,000 forced to flee their homes in the Gironde region.
Some 500 French military personnel were deployed to aid firefighters on Friday, and a further 1,500 were sent yesterday evening following a ‘crisis meeting’ held in Paris.
Mr Nuñez said a hulking A400M military transport aircraft will join 18 other water- and retardant-dropping planes and helicopters waging an expected ‘long and very difficult’ battle against the blaze in the Gironde region.
The government has said that the situation is totally unprecedented.
extensive damage inside a burned-out home following a devastating wildfire in Pelayos de la Presa, 65 kilometers west of Madrid this morning
Burnt buildings around a pool in a destroyed residential area following a wildfire in Le Porge, in the Gironde region, France
Burning forest near the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France yesterday
Firefighters outside Lege-Cap-Ferret. 2,000 military personell have been deployed to aid emergency services in an unprecedented situation in France
Eacuees from Chapinera and Pelayos de la Presa, who had to hastily leave their homes due to the uncontrolled advance of the wildfires in Madrid’s Sierra Oeste region
The final leg of the Tour de France, taking place today, has been shortened from 113km (83 miles) to 89km (55 miles) so that security forces can be redeployed to areas affected by the infernos, organisers and police have said.
Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told local press yesterday: ‘It has not been a positive day. The weather conditions have been absolutely difficult.
‘If it hasn’t gotten worse, it’s thanks to the work of all the emergency services.’
Fires rage close to the capital, Madrid.
Wind gusts yesterday blew the flames south, and Mr Grande-Marlaska warned yesterday that ‘The night is not going to be very positive or very friendly to us.’
Nearly 60,000 people have been evacuated from the Madrid and Ávila regions, while more than 28,000 remain confined to their homes, according to Spain’s interior ministry.
Eight municipalities near Toledo were ordered to evacuate late last night, but it is not clear how many that involved.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez said that 130,000 hectares have been reduced to ash in the fires – ahead of the annual average of 100,000 hectares.
Meanwhile, 98,000 hectares have been burned in France, Mr Nuñez said.
Wildfires have also taken hold in Italy where more than 350 fires – including ten major infernos – ignited on the island of Sicily.
Fires have also taken hold in the UK as the Cairngorms National Park has been burning for the last 11 days. Emergency services declared it a major incident on Friday.
