Key facts
- A 'megafire' west of Bordeaux, France, has consumed 42,000 hectares of forest.
- The fire forced the evacuation of the village of Le Porge and threatened Bordeaux's suburbs.
- Record heat and dry conditions across Europe are exacerbating wildfires.
- Emergency services are stretched thin, with similar blazes occurring in the UK, Spain, and Greece.
- Questions are being raised about the adequacy of France's firefighting resources and equipment.
- A potential cause involves a spark from machinery used for high-tension cable maintenance.
France is battling a massive wildfire, described as a 'megafire,' that has ravaged over 42,000 hectares of forest west of Bordeaux. The blaze, which broke out last week, has been contained but continues to see daily outbreaks, pushing emergency services and hundreds of volunteers to their limits. The village of Le Porge was evacuated after burning cinders fell from the sky, and the fire at one point reached the suburbs of Bordeaux.
Firefighters, soldiers, police, and volunteers are working in extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 35C, amidst an acrid smell of ash and burnt wood. The situation is compounded by a 'zombie fire' – a creeping underground blaze detected by thermal cameras – that threatens to reignite and cause further chaos. The scale of the devastation is evident in the smouldering, deserted landscape surrounding Le Porge, where 20% of homes were lost.
Across Europe, emergency services are struggling with similar conditions. The UK, Spain, and Greece are also experiencing significant wildfires, leading to evacuations and casualties. Scientists attribute these extreme weather events to climate change, noting that disasters are striking earlier and with greater intensity than predicted.
Questions are being raised about the adequacy of France's firefighting resources, with some, like Sebastien Delavoux of the CGT union, warning since 2017 about the need to replace the country's ageing fleet of firefighting planes. A local contractor, Nicolas Di Domenico, suggested a spark from faulty machinery used for high-tension cable maintenance may have ignited the blaze. However, the mayor of Le Porge, Martial Zaninetti, described the event as unpredictable and beyond anything seen before, despite years of warnings about fire risks.
Leaders are seeking to reassure communities, with President Emmanuel Macron stating it is not the time for analysis while the country is still in 'full battle.' The struggle is now described as a long 'war of attrition' as exhausted crews manage ongoing outbreaks.