Wildfires raging in Gironde and Landes since July 22 have destroyed 32,700 hectares and prompted the evacuation of 197,000 people. Firefighters are battling with 750 personnel and 18 aerial assets.
The fire that started in Saumos on July 22 has burned 32,700 hectares in Gironde, destroying 140 homes. The prefecture ordered the evacuation of 167,000 people, including 55,000 to 57,000 on Friday night into Saturday. In the Landes, the fire near Biscarrosse has burned 3,500 hectares and forced 30,000 evacuations.
Marc Vermeulen, director of Gironde’s fire and rescue services, said the fire entered a convective phase with the creation of a pyrocumulonimbus, a phenomenon never before observed in France. This “fire storm” generated lightning and ember attacks before downgrading on Saturday due to rising humidity.
Stéphane Delpeyrat, mayor of Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, said 95 percent of the 33,000 residents have evacuated. Three men were arrested on Saturday for endangering lives, including two for firing fireworks in La-Teste-de-Buch.
