France battles wildfires: 20,000 evacuated, EU sends Canadair and Black Hawk aircraft as heatwave fuels crisis

Wildfires engulf southwestern France

A large wildfire that broke out on Wednesday in the Gironde department has burned 4,800 hectares near the Arcachon basin, forcing the evacuation of around 20,000 people. Local officials reported 3,400 hectares destroyed around the bay alone. The fire spread rapidly through pine forests and coastal scrub, threatening the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula. Around 700 to 800 firefighters worked through the night, but rising temperatures and shifting winds made the blaze unpredictable. Prefect Sophie Brocas said 10,000 tourists were among those evacuated from campsites overnight, and that the operation was proceeding calmly.

We are fighting island by island, house by house.

EU activates civil protection mechanism

President Emmanuel Macron announced late Thursday that France had requested EU assistance. Two Canadair water bombers from Croatia, two Air Tractor planes from Portugal, and two Black Hawk helicopters from Czechia and Slovakia are expected to arrive shortly. The activation came as fire chief Vermeulen warned that winds would peak at 20:00 and then become highly variable, making the fire extremely difficult to predict.

This concrete, rapid and operational solidarity is precious support in this ordeal.

Casualties and other fires

Two firefighters died on Tuesday while tackling a separate blaze near Bordeaux airport. A third firefighter was injured on Wednesday after an explosion, possibly from a gas cylinder. In the Landes department, a fire that started Thursday burned 1,200 hectares and forced 5,000 evacuations. In Var, a fire that began Tuesday destroyed 2,700 hectares and 25 homes. Authorities suspect the Gironde fire was accidentally sparked by a clearing machine operating under a power line, and have banned all forestry work using internal combustion engines in the region.

Eyewitness: ash and darkness

Yassmina de Freitas, 19, from Le Porge, described the scene: by afternoon, ash and half-burned bark were falling, the sky turned very dark, and smoke grew thicker. She and her family were evacuated around 20:00 and taken to a sports hall. They had to leave behind two cats and four chickens.

I saw the number of burned hectares rising constantly.

Heatwave grips Europe

The fires come amid an unusually intense and prolonged heatwave across the continent. In Spain, residents were evacuated near Toledo, south of Madrid. In Italy, a firefighter died while battling a blaze in Sicily. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez paid tribute to the fallen firefighters, expressing "infinite gratitude" and "unwavering support" for their families. Roads and forest areas at risk have been closed, and authorities continue to monitor the situation as temperatures remain high.