A major wildfire in south-west France has moved to within 15km (nine miles) of Bordeaux, prompting local authorities to prepare for possible further evacuations as firefighters battle one of the country's worst fire seasons on record. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the city was preparing for "all eventualities" and making plans to accommodate large numbers of evacuees if conditions deteriorate. Fire advances toward BordeauxPresident Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to the fire-hit Gironde region, described the blaze as a "completely unprecedented wildfire" and said it was the country's most severe since the Second World War. More than 220,000 people have been evacuated across France, while neighbouring Spain has displaced over 100,000 residents as wildfires continue to burn unchecked west of Madrid. Forecasts of another intense heatwave on Tuesday are expected to complicate firefighting operations. Firefighters remain on alertMacron said a separate wildfire in the neighbouring Landes region had been brought under control, but crews remained engaged in Gironde. Although firefighters had improved the situation compared with the previous day, he warned that rising temperatures and persistent winds meant the danger was far from over. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the blaze had effectively "taken on a life of its own", highlighting the unpredictable nature of the fire. Jerome Steffe, mayor of the town of Cestas south of Bordeaux, described the disaster as potentially "the fire of the century". He said around 17,000 residents had been evacuated overnight after the fire rapidly expanded two days earlier. According to Steffe, about 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) have already burned in the area, destroying around 240 homes. He described the situation in his town as "catastrophic". While the fire's advance has slowed, he cautioned that only limited progress had been made. Flying embers and sudden changes in wind direction continue to threaten nearby communities despite efforts to build protective firebreaks. Record fire seasonFrench Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said France was experiencing an unprecedented wildfire season. Since January, more than 116,000 hectares (286,000 acres) have burned and authorities have recorded 13,566 separate fire outbreaks. In a post on X, Lecornu said nine out of 10 fires were caused by human activity, with most linked to carelessness such as discarded cigarette butts, barbecues and unsafe work practices. He added that not all fires were accidental, saying some had been deliberately started. Since 6 July, police have made 162 arrests in connection with wildfire incidents. Spain also battles major blazesSpain entered its fifth day of a national wildfire emergency on Monday as large fires continued to burn west of Madrid. Satellite imagery analysed by BBC Verify showed several separate fires in the Almorox, Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias areas merging into a single large blaze between 24 and 26 July. The wildfire has now affected more than 27,000 hectares, with satellite images showing the rapid expansion of the burned area. Local officials have warned that the region is facing the worst wildfires in its history. Scientists say climate change is increasing global temperatures, with Europe warming about twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Rising temperatures are contributing to more frequent heatwaves, greater pressure on water resources and increasingly intense wildfires across the continent. Join the discussion? 28 July 2026
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