France: Massive blaze engulfs Cap Ferret forests as thousands evacuated
Footage filmed in Lège-Cap-Ferret, south-western France, shows a towering plume of smoke rising above the pine forest as flames advance towards Lège-Bourg, with firefighters battling to protect homes while at least one house is consumed by the blaze. Other scenes show exhausted evacuees resting on camp beds inside a community hall after being forced to leave campsites and residential areas. The fire is believed to have started accidentally on 22 July near Saumos, north of Arcachon Bay, before racing through dense pine forest towards Lège-Cap-Ferret. Driven by strong winds, the flames spread south along the peninsula’s narrow strip of woodland, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Arcachon Bay on the other, forcing authorities to evacuate communities village by village as the fire progressed. By Friday, the blaze had scorched around 8,700 hectares. Authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula by road and boat. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said about 80 homes had been damaged, around 50 of them destroyed, although no fatalities had been reported. Mayor Philippe de Gonneville said 5,300 people, most of them staying at campsites, were evacuated overnight alone. Around 700 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, remain deployed as France endures its third heatwave of 2026. Access to the peninsula has been restricted to emergency and essential personnel while crews continue working to protect threatened communities. The wildfire comes amid an exceptionally active fire season across France. According to Laurent Nunez, more than 12,500 wildfires have broken out nationwide since the start of the year, burning over 44,000 hectares.
