Residents in France's fire-stricken southwest are finally "coming up for air," officials stated on Friday, as emergency crews successfully stabilized a massive wildfire that had been burning for nine days. Of the 220,000 people who were previously evacuated from the path of the flames—which at one point appeared to be heading toward the city of Bordeaux—the majority have now been permitted to return to their homes.
Sophie Brocas, the prefect of the Gironde region, emphasized that while the crisis is not yet fully resolved and the fire remains active, significant progress has been made. The blaze, which ultimately ravaged 42,000 hectares, was stabilized following favorable conditions overnight.
Firefighters are now shifting their focus to clearing woodland undergrowth and securing the fire's edges near the dunes. The disaster has taken a heavy toll, with at least 200 homes destroyed and two firefighters killed during the response.
While the situation in the southwest has shown improvement, a separate, aggressive fire has flared up in the southeastern Var region, roughly 80 kilometers northeast of Marseille. This new emergency has forced the immediate evacuation of 2,500 people. Senior provincial official Simon Babre reported that the fire is spreading rapidly, fueled by the mistral wind, and consumed 1,000 hectares in just a few hours.
The area is currently under an orange heat wave alert until Saturday midday, with temperatures reaching 38C. To prevent further outbreaks, authorities have implemented a strict ban on fuel transport and the use of gas cooker lighters throughout the region until Monday morning.
Local residents in Var described the sudden onset of the danger. Emma Leray, who lives in the village of Correns, recounted seeing her "garden in flames" and having only enough time to grab her two cats and flee by car, picking up a neighbor along the way. She noted that the community received no prior warning.
Other residents, including those with vineyards, attempted to combat the encroaching flames with tree branches and fire extinguishers provided by neighbors. Hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, have been deployed to address the crisis.
Scientists noted this week that human-caused climate change has made the extreme conditions fueling these infernos in western Europe twice as likely compared to a pre-industrial climate.
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