A wildfire is raging near Lège Cap‑Ferret in southwestern France, prompting the evacuation of over 10,000 people.
PARIS — More than 10,000 people were evacuated overnight in southwestern France as a wildfire raged on Thursday near the coastal town of Lège Cap‑Ferret, a popular tourist destination on the Atlantic coast.
Local authorities reported that the fire has spread across more than 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres), with no injuries reported.
The Gironde prefecture said roughly 500 firefighters have been deployed to combat the blaze and bring it under control, noting that “the situation remains unfavorable.”
As a precaution, more than 10,000 individuals—including numerous tourists at eight holiday camps and campgrounds southwest of Bordeaux—have been evacuated, as have over 1,000 residents of neighborhoods bordering the forest edge.
Nine municipalities have opened reception and respite centers for evacuees, providing shelter for more than 2,500 people, according to the prefecture.
Southern Europe has experienced multiple large fires this summer, and scientists warn that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness, heightening the region’s vulnerability to wildfires.
Following a series of heat waves that began even before summer, wildfires have swept across France in recent weeks, scorching vast areas amid record temperatures and dry conditions. Plants and vegetation are under severe water stress, further heightening fire risk.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that more than 12,500 wildfires have ignited since the start of the year, and nearly 44,000 hectares have already burned.
