France orders total evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfire spreads

Authorities in southwestern France have mandated the total evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula, a popular tourist destination on the Atlantic coast, as an "intense and highly unpredictable" wildfire advances. The evacuation is being conducted by both land and sea routes.

By Friday morning, the fire had scorched over 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres), according to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Approximately 40,000 people, including thousands of tourists staying in campsites and rental homes, have either been evacuated or are in the process of leaving. Boats have been used to ferry holidaymakers and residents from piers on the peninsula since Thursday, following the Gironde prefecture's order for a village-by-village evacuation.

The region is experiencing brutal heat, a condition linked to climate breakdown which triggers more frequent and extreme weather events. This has also led Spain to declare a national emergency due to uncontrolled wildfires. In the Cap Ferret area, around 800 firefighters and four water-bombing planes are battling the blaze. The fire, which started near the village of Saumos, has not yet been stabilized. Roads leading to Cap Ferret, a favored spot for French and international visitors and home to celebrities' villas, have been closed to non-essential traffic, and 80 houses have already burned.

A second, separate fire near the resort town of Biscarrosse has burned over 2,500 hectares, prompting the evacuation of about 23,000 people. Over 600 firefighters are struggling to contain this blaze, with officials describing the situation as "highly dynamic and unfavorable" due to numerous new fire starts ahead of the main fire front. Farmers have been asked to assist with water tanks.

This surge in wildfires follows a devastating fire in 2022 that burned over 30,000 hectares in the region, forcing 50,000 people to evacuate. Fueled by tinder-dry conditions and strong winds, the current fires feature flames reaching heights of 10 meters. French President Emmanuel Macron has activated the EU's civil protection mechanism, seeking international reinforcements from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia to combat the multiple wildfires primarily affecting southwestern and southeastern France.

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The fire front looks very bad. There are a great many new fire starts ahead of the main blaze. The situation is highly dynamic and unfavourable.