France, Italy – French President Emmanuel Macron will convene a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday as a major wildfire continues advancing toward Bordeaux, with authorities warning that another heatwave could significantly complicate firefighting efforts in southwestern France.
The main fire in the Gironde region has reached within about 15 kilometers (9 miles) of Bordeaux, according to Mayor Thomas Cazenave, who said authorities have no plans to evacuate the city’s population of about 850,000. Tens of thousands of residents in surrounding communities have already been ordered to leave their homes.
France and Spain have experienced some of Europe’s most destructive wildfires in recent days, with more than 330,000 people evacuated across both countries. The simultaneous emergencies have renewed concerns over the growing impact of prolonged drought and extreme heat across southern Europe.
Macron said the French government would help affected communities recover “for as long as is needed,” while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned that conditions in Gironde remained “very unfavourable” as shifting winds continued to push the fire toward Bordeaux.
New Heatwave Threatens to Intensify Fire Conditions
Weather forecasts indicate temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across parts of France beginning Tuesday, increasing the risk of further fire spread and placing additional pressure on emergency services.
France’s National Firefighters Federation (FNSPF) said the Gironde wildfire generated a rare pyrocumulonimbus cloud—a fire-induced thunderstorm capable of producing powerful winds and lightning that can rapidly change a wildfire’s behavior.
FNSPF spokesperson Eric Brocardi said firefighters were unable to directly attack the shifting fire front because of its unpredictable movement.
“We don’t know how the blaze will spread, the fire front is constantly shifting. We cannot fight it directly,” Brocardi said, describing the operation as “a David-versus-Goliath scenario.”
He said bringing the fire under control could require several days of heavy rainfall or allowing the blaze to burn into terrain where it could naturally lose intensity, such as coastal areas.
Gironde Fire Becomes One of France’s Largest in Decades
The Gironde wildfire has burned about 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres), making it one of France’s largest forest fires since World War II.
Authorities said nearly 98,000 hectares (242,000 acres) have burned across France since the beginning of the year, while more than 220,000 people have been evacuated from southwestern regions.
Firefighters from across the country have been deployed to reinforce operations around Bordeaux as officials work to protect communities and critical infrastructure.
Spain Battles Expanding Wildfire Emergency
Spain is also confronting a worsening wildfire crisis.
Firefighters continued battling a new blaze near the eastern city of Valencia on Sunday after approximately 15,000 residents were evacuated.
Pilar Bernabé, the central government’s representative in Valencia, described the fire as “very intense” and warned that deteriorating weather conditions could worsen the situation.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said firefighters were making gradual progress, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cautioned that “difficult hours lie ahead” during a visit to the fire zone in Ávila province west of Madrid.
Sánchez also called for “a major public pact on the climate emergency.”
King Felipe VI, speaking during a visit to an emergency shelter in Villamanta southwest of Madrid, said the fires had caused “incalculable” damage to Spain’s natural heritage.
Authorities estimate that approximately 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) have burned across Spain this year. Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen said the wildfire in Ávila is the country’s largest in recent history.
More than 90,000 people have been evacuated from areas surrounding Madrid and Ávila as shifting winds pushed the fires toward additional communities.
Among those displaced was Olga Congacha, who returned briefly to her home in Robledo de Chavela to collect medicine and found the village deserted and covered in ash.
Southern Europe Faces Increasing Wildfire Challenges
Authorities have not announced a coordinated European response, but the concurrent wildfire emergencies in France and Spain underscore the growing challenges posed by increasingly severe wildfire seasons across southern Europe.
Emergency officials continue monitoring weather conditions closely as high temperatures, strong winds and prolonged drought threaten to fuel additional fire activity in the coming days.
This report is based on reporting by BBC News.
