A violent forest fire not far from Bordeaux in southwestern France led to the evacuation of at least 7,000 more people on Thursday, bringing the total number of tourists and residents evacuated to 12,000, local authorities said.
• Also read: Violent fires in Southern Europe, thousands of people evacuated
This measure, decided “as a preventive measure”, concerns six campsites and a naturist residential area located north of Cap Ferret, an area very frequented by tourists during the summer. The fire has been raging since Wednesday near the Arcachon basin and has now covered some 2,000 hectares.
No casualties have been recorded at this stage by the authorities.
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“We have a very dense stand of pines very close together, typical of the massif” of the Landes de Gascogne, Captain Wilfried Schneider explained to AFP on Wednesday, referring to a fire of “rare” virulence.
According to the mayor of Porge, Martial Zaninetti, the fire was started by a cleaning machine on a forest track, information that the local authorities have not confirmed.
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The prefect of Gironde, Sophie Brocas, however indicated Wednesday evening that she was going to “ban all forestry or other work that uses thermal engines” in the department, placed on red alert for forest fires.
Another fire ravaged 2,500 hectares in southeastern France this week.
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According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, more than 12,500 fires have broken out since the start of the year and 44,000 hectares have already burned, more than in 2022 when blazes ravaged the south-west of France.
In recent weeks, firefighters have been faced with daily fire outbreaks across the country. Worsened by repeated heatwaves and severe drought favored by climate change, the fire season in 2026 began earlier than usual.
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