2,500 firefighters, 18 firefighting aircraft and 1,500 soldiers are deployed in the region.Image: keystone
Before the start of a new heat wave in France, the fire brigade is trying to further contain the forest fires raging on the Atlantic coast.
July 28, 2026, 02:09July 28, 2026, 02:09
While the larger of the two fires near Bordeaux continues to cause problems for the emergency services, the smaller fire is now under control, said President Emmanuel Macron during the visit to the operational management in Bordeaux in the evening.
Macron in Bordeaux.Image: keystone
“We will win this fight to protect the population,” said Macron, praising “the remarkable work to protect the civilian population.”
2,500 firefighters, 18 firefighting aircraft and 1,500 soldiers are deployed in the region. Support has arrived not only from large parts of France but also from abroad.
These are the latest developments.
Paths in the forest are intended to stop fires
In order to prevent the fire from spreading further, paths were cleared in the forest in numerous places on Monday. This is intended to prevent the flames from spreading to other areas. The authorities said further weather developments with the emergence of wind and heat are also important for fighting the fire.
Since Wednesday, more than 220,000 people have been brought to safety in the popular holiday region on the Atlantic coast, including many tourists. The fire has now approached up to 15 kilometers from the city of Bordeaux and destroyed around 42,000 hectares of forest and bushland. That’s 420 square kilometers, an area larger than the city of Cologne. However, since Monday night, the fire brigade has been able to prevent further spread and the situation has stabilized, it is said.
Tourism region fears for summer business
The tourist region around Bordeaux, which was affected by forest fires, is now worried about the season after the government called on holidaymakers not to travel for the time being. “This is a serious blow for a large part of the predominantly tourism-driven department – tourism has come to a complete standstill, the season is over,” said the President of the Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), Patrick Seguin, as reported by the broadcaster BFMTV. “We urge the French not to go to the Gironde as long as the fire is not yet under control,” government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said on Monday morning.
Easy relaxation in Spain
In Spain there are signs that the situation is easing slightly, but the authorities are warning against the all-clear being given too early. The province of Avila west of Madrid and the neighboring regions of Madrid and Toledo remain particularly affected, where the fires have devastated almost 80,000 hectares of forest and bushland. The spread of the fires has slowed significantly since the weekend.
Around 90,000 people were recently affected by evacuations or exit restrictions. The coming hours are considered crucial as the weather service Aemet expects a new heat wave from Wednesday. Burning also continues in the province of Castellón in the east of the country; Around 16,000 people there had to leave their homes. (sda/dpa)