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 Bordeaux

President 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 alert

Macron 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 season

French 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 blazes

Spain 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.

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28 July 2026

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If it carries on like this....Bordeaux

will be selling hot chocolate instead!

France Battles First 'Fire Clouds' as Wildfires Escalate

Wildfires sweeping southern France have triggered what scientists believe are the country's first recorded "fire clouds" – a dangerous weather phenomenon that can intensify blazes by generating their own storms, lightning and unpredictable winds.

The pyrocumulonimbus clouds have formed above fires near Bordeaux, alarming firefighters and highlighting how extreme wildfire behaviour is becoming more common as hotter, drier conditions take hold.

Blazes Begin Creating Their Own Weather

Scientists say pyrocumulonimbus clouds develop when the heat from an intense wildfire becomes so powerful that it punches through the atmosphere, creating towering storm clouds similar to thunderheads.

Unlike ordinary clouds, these formations are fuelled by the fire itself. Rising columns of superheated air carry smoke, ash and water vapour high into the atmosphere, allowing the blaze to influence local weather conditions.

Experts say the appearance of pyrocumulonimbus signals that a wildfire has entered a far more dangerous phase, with the fire and atmosphere feeding off one another.

Danger Grows for Firefighters

The clouds can rapidly worsen conditions on the ground by producing erratic winds that change direction with little warning, making firefighting operations significantly more hazardous.

Powerful updrafts can also carry burning embers several kilometres, igniting fresh fires far ahead of the main blaze. In some cases, the storm clouds generate lightning strikes capable of sparking additional wildfires in already parched landscapes.

Researchers warn these rapidly changing conditions complicate evacuation planning and increase risks for emergency crews working on the fire line.

Extreme Heat Fuels New Threat

The phenomenon has previously been observed during major wildfires in Australia, North America and, more recently, Spain and Portugal. Scientists believe this is the first time pyrocumulonimbus clouds have been recorded over France.

Months of drought have left forests in south-west France exceptionally vulnerable, creating ideal conditions for large, fast-moving fires.

For firefighters, the appearance of towering fire clouds marks a critical turning point. Experts say the sight alone is enough to change the mood on the front line, as crews recognise the blaze is no longer simply burning through the landscape but beginning to create its own unpredictable and potentially devastating weather.

France is seeing its first severe 'fire cloud'. This is why firefighters are worried