More than 140,000 evacuated as military aircraft join wildfire battle in France

Wildfires in southwestern France displace more than 140,000 people

Severe wildfires in the Gironde and Landes regions of France have prompted the evacuation of over 140,000 people since July 22. Firefighters and military planes are battling the blazes as the interior minister announced that the area burned this year is three times that of last year.

Scraper SystemJuly 25, 2026, 10:35 PM

Wildfires in southwestern France displace more than 140,000 people

Wildfires that have been raging for weeks in southwestern France are forcing the region into one of the largest evacuation operations in its history. Authorities announced that more than 140,000 people have been evacuated to safe areas since July 22.

In the Gironde region, where the fires are most intense, the flames have destroyed about 19,000 hectares of forested land. Some 110,000 people have been evacuated from the area, and thousands more in the city of Bordeaux and the resort town of Cap-Ferret have been ordered to leave their homes. More than 1,000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft are taking part in the firefighting efforts.

Situation critical in Landes and Var

In the Landes region, the fire has grown to 2,600 hectares. While 31,000 people have been evacuated from there, more than 500 firefighters are battling the flames. In the commune of Ponteves in the Var region, the fire remains uncontrolled and authorities warned that new evacuations could be ordered.

Military aircraft deployed

Local media reported that military transport planes have also been deployed to fight the fires. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that since the start of the year, wildfires across the country have destroyed more than 50,000 hectares. Nuñez noted that this figure is almost three times higher than the same period last year.