Cecilia and Carl-Johan Zetterström and their four children had to leave their campsite in Cap Ferret as wildfires spread in the area west of Bordeaux.
The family had been vacationing at the Les Viviers campsite for a week. On Thursday morning they went out on a sailboat after receiving assurances from staff that there was no danger.
They had only been out a few hours when the campsite contacted them with an evacuation order. When they returned three hours later the area was empty and the smoke was acrid.
French authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from the Cap Ferret peninsula. On Saturday it was announced that the airport in Bordeaux would also be evacuated. The family quickly packed their belongings and began the drive home to Sweden.