Bordeaux Smells of Smoke as Fires Advance on City

Bordeaux is breathing smoke. Wildfires advancing on the southwestern French city are now felt in its streets, covered Saturday by a yellowish-gray haze that irritates throats and fuels residents' unease.

In the city center, the fire is not yet visible but its presence is palpable. "This looks like the apocalypse," said a delivery man in his early twenties, unloading cases of drinks near the Saint-Jean train station. He gestured toward the smoke-filled sky. "It smells burnt. Look at the sky, look."

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This looks like the apocalypse. It smells burnt. Look at the sky, look.

Nearby, an elderly woman walked her dog, wearing a mask. "They say it's coming closer. I'm starting to get scared," she admitted. Suffering from asthma, she pointed to the mist enveloping the city. "They say this air is bad."

A young German couple with backpacks headed for the platforms. They had planned a two-week vacation in Arcachon Bay but stayed only five days. "We're leaving," they explained. Waiting in Bordeaux since the previous day for the situation to improve, they decided they could wait no longer. "We're going home."

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They say it's coming closer. I'm starting to get scared. They say this air is bad.

While the city tries to maintain its routine, the emergency has a different face on its outskirts. The Bordeaux Exhibition and Convention Center has become a massive reception center for evacuees. Cars carrying families forced to abandon their homes arrived throughout the night, mostly as a precaution against the toxic smoke invading areas near the fires. A long caravan of vehicles continued to form at the entrance after midnight. Inside were sleeping children, pets, hastily packed suitcases, and people unsure when they would see their homes again.

The center prepared about a thousand spots but was completely overwhelmed within hours. By 1 a.m., mattresses began to spread across the exhibition hall floors, and on Saturday, authorities continued to set up new spaces for evacuees. Some spent the night on the floor, others in their cars. Among the displaced are the elderly, infants, disabled individuals, and the sick. An 87-year-old woman undergoing breast cancer treatment told EFE she drove alone to Bordeaux after being ordered to leave her apartment in the middle of the night. Many arrived without an official evacuation order, driven solely by the advancing smoke and the fear of being trapped, which further complicated the organization of the reception effort. Inside, dozens of volunteers distribute water, food, and blankets, while a small field hospital attends to immediate medical needs. Evacuees share space with firefighters using the park as an operations base. Conversations are hushed.

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We're leaving. We're going home.