Macron Says Gironde Wildfires Are France's Biggest Crisis Since WWII

On 28 July 2026, President Macron visited a Bordeaux crisis centre and called the Gironde wildfires France's "toughest" situation "since the second world war." The fires have burned 42,000 hectares of forest — roughly 80,000 football fields — and forced 200,000 people from their homes. Macron's words suggest the government may redirect money and laws toward fighting such disasters.