Gironde Wildfire Burns 10,000 Hectares, Forces 40,000 to Evacuate in Southwest France

A wildfire near Saumos, 40 km from Bordeaux, has consumed over 10,000 hectares and destroyed 80 homes since July 22, 2026. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed 40,000 people evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula — by boat, as the sole road was threatened. Some 800 firefighters and four water-bombing aircraft are deployed. The blaze remains unstabilised.