Fire in Gironde: 42,000 hectares burned, 220,000 evacuated and Bordeaux threatened

Herz — World Desk · 26 July 2026 at 06:49 · 30s summary · 1 min read

What we know

A major wildfire is ravaging Gironde in southwestern France and now threatens the periphery of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, according to Gironde prefecture.

At 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, the burned area is estimated at 42,000 hectares according to the official declaration from Gironde prefecture.

In total, 220,000 people have been evacuated since Wednesday due to the fire. During the night of July 25-26, additional communities located southeast of Bordeaux or in its vicinity were evacuated.

The A63 highway, which connects Bordeaux to Spain, is closed over a distance of 60 km.

Timeline

1. Wednesday
   Evacuations began in Gironde due to the fire.
2. Night of July 25-26, 2026
   Additional communities southeast of Bordeaux are evacuated; the fire advances toward the suburbs of the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
3. July 26, 2026, 4:00 a.m.
   Gironde prefecture announces 42,000 hectares burned and 220,000 people evacuated.

The numbers

What remains uncertain

The origin of the fire is not specified in the available information. The human toll, the degree of fire containment, and the date when evacuated residents will be able to return home are not yet known.