Gironde Wildfire Scorches Area Four Times Paris, Forces 220,000 to Evacuate

A wildfire declared July 22, 2026, in Saumos, Gironde, consumed over 800 hectares within hours and scorched an area four times the size of Paris, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said. Some 220,000 people were evacuated across France's Atlantic coast. By early August, firefighters contained the blaze, allowing nearly 200,000 to return.