The night from Saturday to Sunday was marked by a violent resurgence of the fires in Gironde, leading to the evacuation of a further 55,000 people and bringing the total area burnt to 42,000 hectares. The flames, now ‘on the outskirts’ of the town of Cestas, just 17 kilometres from Bordeaux, pose a direct threat to the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
According to Laurent Nuñez, the Home Secretary, the situation “remains very serious”. The fire, which has flared up again “ extremely virulent "Early in the night, it generated its own wind and moved erratically before subsiding late in the night. The authorities announced that the A63 motorway, between Bordeaux and Spain, was closed for 60 kilometres, whilst rail services were suspended south of Bordeaux until further notice. Weather conditions are expected to be very unfavourable for the emergency services over the next three days. Tuesday is set to be particularly difficult, with temperatures in the area expected to reach 38 to 39 °C. Wind gusts of between 30 and 35 km/h are also forecast. The wind is expected to gradually shift to a northerly direction over the coming days, once again making the fire service’s work considerably more difficult.
Massive mobilisation of emergency services
In response to this crisis, the resources deployed are unprecedented: 2,500 firefighters, including a Swiss contingent, 1,500 military personnel and nearly 1,200 police officers and gendarmes have been mobilised, supported by 18 aircraft. Laurent Nuñez confirmed that the A400M water-bombing aircraft would be “deployed once again” to support fire-fighting operations.
Evacuations are continuing, with 220,000 people displaced since the start of the disaster. The towns of Marcheprime, Le Barp, Biganos, Mios and Cestas were evacuated overnight as the flames advanced towards residential areas. The Gironde prefecture is coordinating the operations, whilst residents are advised to check the alert cards to keep track of developments.
A heavy environmental toll
In addition to the loss of life and damage to property, the fires are having a devastating impact on local wildlife. Thousands of domestic and wild animals have perished in the flames, and experts are concerned about the long-term consequences for their natural habitat. Forests reduced to ashes are depriving surviving species of food and water, jeopardising their long-term survival. No precise figures have yet been established, but experts fear a heavy toll on biodiversity.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant and to report any outbreak of fire via the dedicated platform. To track the progress of the fires in real time, visit the map of current fires.