Gironde wildfires burn as French region braces for new 40C heat wave

On Tuesday morning, the governor of Gironde ordered the evacuation of all campsites near the coast of Lacanau, while the nearby town was allowed to stay but told to prepare for an emergency evacuation.

About 4,000 tourists have been told to leave the area, in addition to the 220,000 people who have been evacuated across France in recent days.

About 240 homes and houses were destroyed, officials said.

By midday on Tuesday, firefighters were responding to the re-ignition of the fire in various parts of the region.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in the Var region. They have now been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Interior Minister Loren Nunez said 184 people have been arrested in connection with the fire since July 6.

Peggy Plouhinec, managing director of Chateau Picy Caillot, one of the few wine estates west of Bordeaux, told the BBC that her business had opted to close over the weekend because of the smoke, but that the situation had since improved, helped by the rain on Sunday night.

Although her vineyards are not at risk, tourists have “deserted” the region, she said.

“The hospitality sector will be impacted this winter, that’s for sure,” she added. What is happening is unprecedented. We are lucky that we have not been affected so far, but the business is still affected by the low number of tourists.

But many people have lost their homes or businesses, not to mention the firefighters who have been on the job for weeks now and must be exhausted.

Residents of Cape Ferret, who were evacuated late last week, told French media that their main concern now is the peninsula where they live, rather than the center of a big city.

“Everyone talks about saving Bordeaux, but there’s nothing in Bordeaux. Have you ever seen concrete burn?”

“There are only trees here… and it’s a disaster when you see all the burnt ones.”

Additional reporting by Xavier Pallas