Wildfires displace more than 250,000 in France, threaten famed wine region

Firefighters spray water in a burning forest near Lacanau, southwestern France, Saturday, July 25, 2026.(AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

“The fire again became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area,” Nunez posted on X, adding that the blaze “became calmer by the end of the night.”

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The fire has now burned an estimated 42,000 hectares, or about 162 square miles — roughly four times the size of Paris — in the Gironde region.Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the flames came within about 9 miles of the city, prompting officials to partially close a major highway into and out of the region.

More than 2,500 firefighters, backed by 18 planes and helicopters, are working to slow the fire’s advance.France has also deployed 1,500 soldiers to help clear vegetation and build firebreaks, while severalEuropean countrieshave sent aircraft and firefighting crews to assist.

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Nunez said 450 volunteers have also pitched in to help.

“We ⁠came to lend a hand because if it were our region, we’d want others to do the ​same,” 65-year-old farmer Pascal Roudier told Reuters.“And given the scale of the disaster, we ​think our⁠ efforts are very welcome too.”

Firefighters battle a wildfire near Marcheprime, outside, Bordeaux, France, Sunday, July 26, 2026.(AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

The Bordeaux-area fire is one of several major wildfires burning across France.A separate blaze in the neighboring Landes region has forced another 36,000 people to evacuate, while nearly 3,000 others have left their homes in southern France’s Var region along the Mediterranean coast.

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NeighboringSpainis facing its own wildfire emergency.

A firefighter carries a hose while battling a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, Spain, Sunday, July 26, 2026.(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Authorities there have evacuated about 116,000 people in recent days as fires burned across the Valencia region and west of Madrid.A fast-moving fire in a Valencia suburb killed one man Saturday, marking Spain’s first wildfire death in the latest wave of fires.

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Earlier this month, 13 people were killed in southern Spain in the country’s deadliest wildfire in recent memory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.