Giant Wildfire in France Forces 220,000 to Flee, Then Is Brought Under Control

A wildfire that began July 22, 2026, in Saumos, France, spread across an area four times the size of Paris, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. About 220,000 people left their homes on France's Atlantic coast. By early August, firefighters had brought the fire under control, and nearly 200,000 people could return.