French firefighters are working tirelessly to contain a massive wildfire near Le Las, outside Bordeaux, with French President Emmanuel Macron urging perseverance. The blaze, which has raged since last week, covers an area four times larger than Paris and has displaced 220,000 residents. Macron emphasized the unprecedented nature of the fire, calling it France’s largest crisis since World War II.
Fire crews managed to halt the fire’s progression toward Bordeaux, a key wine region city, but with the threat of more heat waves this week, officials caution that the fight is far from over. “We must hold firm,” Macron said, acknowledging the challenges in the coming weeks as temperatures are expected to rise to 35 C (95 F).
Emergency services are also providing for the massive number of evacuees, totaling 250,000 in the southwest, who have fled due to two separate fires. Macron noted that many evacuees are traumatized and have lost everything.
As France enters its peak tourist season, officials in the Gironde region are taking steps to prevent visitors from entering the fire-affected areas. They have banned holiday camps and urged people to avoid the popular region known for its beaches, wines, and forests.
To control the flames, teams are removing sections of forest and scrubland, creating firebreaks to prevent the fire from reaching Bordeaux, which is only 15 kilometers (10 miles) away. Local farmers are assisting by supplying water to fire crews.
The firefighting efforts are supported internationally, with around a dozen countries sending assistance. Spain, also battling severe wildfires, has seen fires around Madrid and the Valencia region, leading to widespread evacuations.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for more significant action against climate change, attributing the scale of the fires to climate emergencies. Spain’s largest recorded fire near Ávila illustrates the severity, having burned 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), dwarfing Barcelona.
Agriculture Minister Sara Aagesen reported that this year’s fires in Spain have consumed 1,530 square kilometers (590 square miles), significantly higher than in 2025, with forecasts predicting another heat wave.
In Italy, wildfires driven by strong winds erupted near Peschici, leading to the evacuation of 300 tourists. Firefighters, aided by water-bombing planes, continue to combat the blaze, reviving memories of the destructive fires in the area in 2007.