Sports and cultural events cancelled throughout the Gironde region
The Gironde region has banned all sports and cultural events. In an update, the prefecture announced that “given the evolving nature of the [wildfire] situation and with the aim of protecting the public,” Prefect Sophie Brocas issued two new prefectural decrees on Monday afternoon banning “sports and cultural events throughout the Gironde department,” as well as boating and water sports “on the Cazaux-Sanguinet lake.”
“As of Monday, July 27, the burned area remains estimated at 42,000 hectares,” government officials added. “The fire has not gained ground in the last 24 hours despite numerous flare-ups being contained across most sectors. Once again, aerial support was deployed to reinforce ground crews, notably with two water drops by the A400M,” the press release states.
“Faced with a situation that remains highly unpredictable, full mobilisation continues, particularly on the eve of a day that is expected to see a significant rise in temperatures and a drop in humidity,” the prefecture added.
Volunteer firefighter from Bouches-du-RhĂ´ne killed in a traffic accident
Corporal Laurent Manson, a volunteer firefighter with the Saint-Etienne-du-Grès Fire and Rescue Station in Bouches-du-Rhône, was killed in a traffic accident, his colleagues in the department said in a press release.
According to La Provence, he lost control of his tanker truck around 7:30 pm and crashed into a plane tree. “Despite being treated quickly by emergency responders, he unfortunately could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene,” the daily reported.
The corporal “was on his way to refuel the CCF 4000 [a tanker truck] in which he was traveling,” the fire department said, adding that he was alone in the vehicle. A psychological support unit has been set up at the Saint-Etienne-du-Grès fire station to assist the victim’s colleagues.
Four firefighters have died in just over two weeks in France.
15,000 evacuees allowed to return to their homes in Landes
Now that the fire has been brought under control in the Landes, the 15,000 people evacuated from the towns of Sanguinet and Parentis-en-Born, as well as certain areas of Biscarrosse, may return to their homes, the Landes Prefecture announced.
Macron announces fire in Landes region now 'under control'
A fire that broke out on Thursday near Biscarrosse in the Landes region is now “under control", Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday.
'We will win this battle together,' Macron says on visit to fire zone
French President Emmanuel Macron urged fire crews to “stay strong” as they battled Monday to bring a monster wildfire under control, warning that the fight will take time but vowing, “We will win this battle together.”
On a visit to a coordination center for the massive firefighting effort, Macron heard how the blaze in the southwest has been wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding fire storm. He praised fire crews who stopped the fire’s progression after successive days of spreading flames but cautioned that the battle isn’t yet won.
'This is the most difficult situation since World War II,' says President Macron in Gironde
“We are facing a fire unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” French President Emmanuel Macron said during his visit to the fire-hit region of Gironde on Monday.
“This is the most difficult situation since World War II,” he said, noting that more than 60,000 hectares have already burned.
- Macron vows 'to rebuild a different kind of forest' on visit to fire-ravaged southwest France
- Fire in France's Bordeaux area 'broadly stable overnight', says local authority
- Gironde cancels holiday camp activites
- Macron to hold crisis cabinet meeting to discuss wildfires Monday morning
- France’s interior minister says monster wildfire in southwestern Gironde region has stopped growing
Macron vows 'to rebuild a different kind of forest' on visit to fire-ravaged southwest France
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Monday "to rebuild a different kind of forest" as he visited an area ravaged by wildfires in southwest France, adding that "the coming weeks will be tough".
'Extreme conditions' could hit Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Portugal
The EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP that its fleet of water-bombing planes was increasingly stretched due to fears they may soon be needed elsewhere.
"Extreme conditions are looming for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in addition to France, the Iberian Peninsula ... where the situation is expected to worsen, including in Portugal starting today," Lahbib said.
Satellite images of multiple fires ablaze in Spain
The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service captured these satellite images of the extreme fires burning across central and western Spain, which declared a state of emergency on Monday.
'No country should have to face a disaster of this scale alone', EU crisis commissioner says
The European Commissioner for crisis management Hadja Lahbib said Monday that the EU had sent seven planes and four helicopters from Czechia, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and Turkey to France, and another six planes from Greece, Italy and Turkey to Spain.
“No country should ever have to face a disaster of this scale alone,” Lahbib said. “To the people of France and Spain: Europe will stand with you until the fires are out.”
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Gendarmerie deploys ten Centaure armoured vehicles in Gironde
The French Gendarmerie has announced it will deploy ten Centaure vehicles in Gironde to support units already engaged in fighting the region's fires. The multipurpose armoured vehicles are designed to navigate rough terrain while clearing debris.
In pictures: Fires continue to blaze in southwestern France
Firefighters are battling blazes on multiple fronts across the south western part of France, including the massive wildfire in Gironde that has destroyed 42,000 hectares on the outskirts of Bordeaux.
This photograph shows a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 MR aircraft (R) dropping fire retardant over a forest near Marcheprime, some 30km from Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026. Photo by Alaid Jocard/AFP.
A firefighter tries to extinguish fires burning trees near Le Porge, southwestern France on July 23, 2026. Photo by Romain Perrochea/AFP.
A firefighter tries to extinguish fires burning through forest near Le Porge, southwestern France on July 23, 2026. Photo by Romain Perrochea/AFP.
This aerial view shows a damaged house in a burnt area in the town of Le Temple, following a wildfire in the Gironde Department, south-western France, on July 27, 2026. Photo by Ed Jones/AFP.
This photograph shows a dead roe deer, in Andernos-les-Bains, some 40 km from Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026, as a wildfire rages through the forest in Gironde, southwestern France. Photo by Alain Jocard/AFP.
Firefighters carry out mop-up operations, extinguishing remaining hot spots and smoldering patches, in a forest near Marcheprime, some 30 km from Bordeaux, on July 27, 2026. Photo by Alain Jocard/AFP.
'I spent the night coughing': Wildfire smoke leaves Bordeaux residents struggling to breathe
A dense blanket of smoke has hung over Bordeaux since last Friday as a massive wildfire burns its way through southwestern France.
As the flames creep closer to the city, FRANCE 24 met residents stunned by the scale of the disaster and fearful of what comes next.
Four more firefighters wounded overnight, bringing the total injured to 88
Four more firefighters were injured overnight as they fought to contain fires raging in the region. The number of firefighters injured now stands at 88 since the fires began in Gironde.
There have been no reported civilian casualties. Local authorities said Monday that 240 homes had so far been destroyed.
France wildfire: Local economy faces huge rebuilding and reforestation bill
While the focus still remains on containing the forest fires blazing through the Gironde department, the challenge of rebuilding and replanting has already begun.
And it is likely to be a costly one coming in, according to the government, at between 5 and 10 thousand euros a hectare.
Wildfires will be 'catastrophic' for wildlife, warns French minister
The damage caused to wildlife by wildfires will be “catastrophic,” warned French Minister of Ecological Transition Monique Barbut on Monday.
Raging wildfires force evacuation of over 220,000 in southwestern France
Raging wildfires have forced the evacuation of over 220,000 people from the Gironde department in southwestern France as the devastating flames continue to spread.
Thousands of evacuees are now packed into emergency shelters, with no timeline given as to when they may be able to return as firefighters battle to bring the blaze under control.
FRANCE 24's Carys Garland reports from Bordeaux.
Yesterday's key developments:
- France and Spain battled worsening wildfires as 300,000 fled their homes in the two countries.
- Bordeaux is "ready for anything", its mayor said.
- France's Gironde region prefect said there would be "no return to evacuated regions until the fire is under control".
- Fires forced more than 400 in Italy to evacuate by boat.
- French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that 115,000 hectares had been burned in France's wildfires so far this year.
- Spain's government said it would declare a civil protection emergency.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
