Cap Ferret wildfire evacuation orders have expanded across southwest France as crews battle fast-moving blazes and thousands leave homes and campsites.
The Cap Ferret wildfire evacuation widened in southwest France on Friday as authorities ordered the entire peninsula cleared and emergency crews struggled to contain a fast-moving blaze in the Gironde region. Thousands more people were also forced out of nearby areas as fire conditions worsened across the Atlantic coast.
French officials said about 40,000 people had either been evacuated or were in the process of leaving the Cap Ferret peninsula, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Arcachon sit on either side of the landmass. Local authorities said fires that began on Tuesday had already burned through 10,000 hectares, or almost 25,000 acres. Sophie Brocas, the local prefect, said 53 homes and a campsite had been lost, while 2,000 houses had been spared.
The evacuation unfolded under difficult conditions, with some residents and tourists leaving by boat. A local councillor said 2,000 evacuees had already arrived in the port of Arcachon on the south side of the bay. Fire and rescue chief Marc Vermeulen said the fire spread quickly late Thursday into the early hours of Friday, forcing the decision to begin evacuating Arès, a town southeast of Lège-Cap Ferret.
Vermeulen said the overnight behavior of the blaze was especially alarming because drought conditions were worse than in 2022. He said fires that year tended to intensify at the end of the day, while this week’s flames were surging around midnight and 1 a.m. He also said the fire was advancing at speeds of 800 to 1,000 hectares an hour for several hours in a suburban area. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the situation on the peninsula had affected a vast population, with many of those displaced being visitors at campsites and holiday homes.
“Cap Ferret wildfire evacuation orders have expanded across southwest France as crews battle fast-moving blazes and thousands leave homes and campsites.”
Farther down the coast, another major fire near Biscarrosse in the Landes region pushed more than 23,000 people from their homes, campsites and other facilities. Officials said about 18,000 people in Biscarrosse and 5,000 in Parentis-en-Born were evacuated, including residents of a nursing home and a summer camp. Landes prefect Gilles Clavreul said the Biscarrosse fire was not expected to be extinguished by Friday evening, given winds reaching 50 km/h and temperatures of 36 to 37C. He said 105 homes and other buildings had been identified as partially or completely destroyed.
No additional casualties were reported overnight in southwest France, though two firefighters died on Tuesday while battling a blaze near Bordeaux airport. President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday night that the wildfire situation was very tense, especially in Gironde, and the European Union sent three planes and two helicopters to assist French firefighters. Another four planes were sent to Spain as fire crews on both sides of the border faced the same brutal mix of heat, wind and dry ground.
The Cap Ferret wildfire evacuation has also become a reminder of how quickly tourist areas can turn into emergency zones. The peninsula has a year-round population of just under 8,000, but that number rises sharply in peak season. Franck Chaumès, who leads the Gironde branch of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries, called the situation a tourist disaster and said the group was trying to secure financial aid and possibly arrange rooms for displaced residents.
The crisis is not limited to France. Spain declared a national emergency after wildfires spun out of control in areas west of Madrid and in Ávila, prompting the evacuation of more than 19,000 people. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the situation dramatic, while Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the worst fire in the region’s history. For Americans watching from afar, the fires are a stark sign of the fire danger facing parts of Europe as temperatures rise, dry conditions deepen, and communities are forced to evacuate with little warning.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Cap Ferret evacuation widened?
The wildfire spread quickly late Thursday into Friday, forcing authorities to clear the entire peninsula. Fire crews said the blaze was moving alarmingly fast under severe drought conditions.
How many people were evacuated from Cap Ferret?
French officials said about 40,000 people had either been evacuated or were in the process of leaving the peninsula. Many evacuees were visitors staying in campsites and holiday homes.
How much land and property has the Cap Ferret fire destroyed?
Authorities said the fire had burned about 10,000 hectares. Sophie Brocas said 53 homes and a campsite had been lost, while 2,000 houses had been spared.
What was happening with the other wildfire near Biscarrosse?
The Biscarrosse fire displaced more than 23,000 people from homes, campsites and other facilities. Officials said strong winds and temperatures of 36 to 37C made it unlikely to be extinguished by Friday evening.
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