The great fire threatening Bordeaux could last "weeks or months"
The firefighters have managed to stabilize the fire, which is located 15 kilometers from the capital of Gironde
BarcelonaThe night has brought a slight respite to the firefighters in southern France who are fighting against time to put out the fire threatening Bordeaux. The Gironde fire, already the worst recorded in the country in the last fifty years, has remained "globally stable" overnight. Although it is still out of control, firefighters have managed to stabilize it and are working to bring it under control. However, extinction seems a distant goal: the fire "will last several weeks or even several months"; assured Lieutenant Colonel David Annotel, representative of the National Federation of Firefighters of France, who warned of the need to plan for the relief of personnel.
The flames – which have burned at least 42,000 hectares – remain 15 kilometers from the metropolitan area of Bordeaux, a conurbation of more than 700,000 inhabitants. For now, however, authorities insist that there is no need to evacuate the city. "The evacuation of Bordeaux is not on the agenda," said government spokeswoman Maud Bregon this morning. Instead, 220,000 people from 23 municipalities in the region remain evacuated, the vast majority of whom are temporarily housed in Bordeaux.
The fire had advanced in recent days "unpredictably" and "rapidly" due to strong winds and a large volume of dry vegetation, creating a very complicated situation for the emergency services. More than 2,500 firefighters, 1,500 soldiers, and 1,200 police officers and gendarmes, along with 450 volunteers, are working to extinguish the flames in the Gironde region. Although this night has been quieter, the spokesman for the French fire service, Eric Brocardi, stated that a "race against time" has begun in the fight against fires in France, before a new heatwave begins in the country on Wednesday.
Germany has sent air support to France to help it combat the fire, according to a Defense statement. Specifically, the army has sent two CH-53 transport helicopters, equipment, and material, which have been transported by an A400M aircraft to the French military base of Cazaux and will contribute to fighting the flames in the Bordeaux area for at least the next five days.
"Historic record"
2026 has been the most devastating year for fires in France: in total, fire has engulfed 115,000 hectares since January, which represents a "historic record," as confirmed on Sunday night by the French Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez. The leader also reported that the country faces between 30 and 40 fires simultaneously every day.
At present, the one in the Var region – on the eastern coast – has burned 4,500 hectares and continues to require the mobilization of a thousand firefighters. The one in the Landes, which started just 40 kilometers from the Gironde, has calmed down during the night, although it has already burned 3,600 hectares.
This Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron will preside over a crisis cabinet to assess the fire situation. The Minister of Finance, Roland Lescure, has compared the effects that the fires will have on the region's economy to a "thunderclap," an issue he will try to bring up during the cabinet meeting which is also scheduled for this morning.
