France sends boats to evacuate tourist hotspot Cap Ferret as wildfires rage

Wildfires are forcing the complete evacuation of the popular tourist destination Cap Ferret in southwestern France, with authorities deploying boats to rescue people from the peninsula. The evacuation order highlights the severity of the blazes, which are being exacerbated by unprecedented heatwaves across Europe.

Sophie Brocas, the province's prefect, confirmed that evacuation boats were operating from three piers on the peninsula, located west of Bordeaux. This operation underscores the critical situation, as record-breaking, climate change-driven heatwaves have transformed the landscape into a tinderbox. Similar intense wildfires in Spain have led the government to declare a national state of emergency.

In Cap Ferret alone, approximately 40,000 people have been evacuated, with a few hundred requiring sea rescue. The peninsula's single road connection to the mainland makes evacuation a critical priority should fire cut off access. Residents described being woken by text messages in the middle of the night, urging them to leave their homes amidst a scene of widespread emergency response.

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(There are) firefighters everywhere, police everywhere, checking that people have indeed left their homes. Just 200 meters, 300 meters from here, you can see the wall of flames around Lège … the flames are right there.

The fires have been devastatingly rapid, consuming up to 1,000 hectares per hour overnight. The intensity of the blaze has caused spot fires to erupt within the town and spread from house to house. So far, 53 homes and one campsite have been destroyed, with around 1,000 firefighters battling the inferno. Another significant wildfire near Biscarrosse has already led to the evacuation of 23,000 people.

In response to France's request for assistance, several European Union countries have dispatched firefighting aircraft and helicopters. Reinforcements include two Croatian Canadair aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, and two Czech and Slovak Black Hawk helicopters. This international cooperation is crucial as Europe grapples with a wildfire season that has already seen more land burn than the annual average, with France particularly hard-hit.

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Because the fire was so powerful, it also threw off spot fires right into the center of the town while it was still on the outskirts. We also had burning embers that caused the fire to spread from house to house.