Wildfires Force France to Evacuate Tourists From Campsites

Wildfires forced French authorities to evacuate some 20,000 residents and tourists from an area southwest of Bordeaux, after successive heat waves created tinderbox conditions.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling blazes that have so far burned 3,100 hectares in the Bassin d’Arcachon in the Gironde department. Tanker aircraft are dousing the flames with water and retardant, but the fires aren’t yet under control, according to the regional prefect.

France has been at the epicenter of three heat waves that seared western Europe since late May. More than 50,000 hectares in the country have been burned this year, according to the European wildfire monitoring platform Effis. That means 2026 is already the second-worst year in records going back two decades.

Europe’s wildfire season started early this year and accelerated in recent weeks as high temperatures and low rainfall baked vegetation, making it easier for flames to spread rapidly. Fires burned more than 300,000 hectares across the continent, mostly in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal and Romania, according to Effis.

In southwest France, residents and tourists were evacuated to safer areas, and at least six camping sites were shut down, according to France Info. No casualties were reported, as the fires advanced toward the tourist site of Lège-Cap-Ferret.

In the Var department in the Mediterranean region, firefighters are tackling another blaze that’s already destroyed 2,500 hectares.

Record high temperatures and lack of rainfall this season have burned forests and damaged crops in Europe’s biggest agriculture producer.

Climate change is intensifying periods of extreme heat in Europe, the fastest-warming continent. The record-breaking heat and drought have fueled the worst start ever to the global wildfire season, with climate scientists warning that a developing El Niño could bring even harsher conditions later this summer.