Lège-Cap-Ferret, France. More than 10,000 people were evacuated from homes and campsites near France’s Atlantic coast after a fast-moving wildfire burned about 2,000 hectares west of Bordeaux. The blaze spread overnight towards Lège-Cap Ferret, a tourist area near Arcachon Bay.
Evacuations and firefighting efforts
Around 500 firefighters were deployed to contain the fire, according to the prefecture, which reported no injuries.
Many of those evacuated were visitors staying at campsites in the Arcachon Bay area. Philippe de Gonneville, mayor of Lège-Cap Ferret, said the fire had spread faster overnight than authorities had expected.
Lège, one of 11 villages on the Cap Ferret peninsula, was the only village directly threatened by the fire. Authorities evacuated 5,200 people from the area overnight, closed access to the peninsula and prepared plans to evacuate all residents and visitors by road or sea if required.
Fire reaches Lège area
The fire began near Saumos, about 15 kilometres from Lège-Cap Ferret, before reaching the edge of Lège. Several campgrounds and neighbourhoods close to woodland were evacuated.
The Cap Ferret peninsula is known for high-value property and attracts visitors from Paris and Bordeaux.
Wildfires across Europe
Fires also remained a major challenge in Spain, where authorities continued to battle several significant blazes amid high temperatures and difficult conditions.
In Italy, a 59-year-old firefighter died after falling ill while fighting a large wildfire near San Cataldo in Sicily.
Europe has experienced three successive heatwaves this season, intensifying drought, straining water supplies and leaving vegetation dry. Scientists have warned that climate change is worsening water shortages on the continent, where wildfires have already burned more land this year than the annual average over the past two decades.
