The mayor of Bordeaux is bracing for 'all eventualities,' which is French for 'we might be hosting a lot of houseguests soon.' Thomas Cazenave said the city is preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered, as one of multiple wildfires burning in France creeps to within 15km (nine miles) of the south-western city.
President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the fire-ravaged Gironde region, called it a 'completely unprecedented wildfire' and 'the toughest since World War Two.' That's saying something, given that France has seen a few tough things since 1945. Some 220,000 people have been evacuated in France alone, and over 100,000 in Spain, where fires are burning 'uncontrolled' west of Madrid.
Another intense heatwave on Tuesday could further hamper firefighting efforts, because clearly, things weren't hot enough. Macron noted that a smaller fire in the Landes region had been contained, but the fight continues in Gironde. He warned that 'temperatures are set to rise again, the wind is still present, and therefore we must remain humble' - a noble sentiment when facing a force of nature that doesn't care about humility.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the fire 'has a life of its own,' which is a polite way of saying it's not listening to anyone. Jerome Steffe, the mayor of Cestas, a town south of Bordeaux, told the BBC this 'will be the fire of the century.' He described how 17,000 residents were evacuated from his town overnight when the fire swelled two days ago. So far, the region has seen 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) burned and 240 houses destroyed. 'In my city the situation is really catastrophic,' he added, understating things slightly.
Although the fire is no longer moving as quickly, Steffe said his teams have 'won only a small battle' and emphasized that the risk remains from flying embers or a sudden change in wind direction. 'We put all our energy into creating protective firebreaks,' he explained, but admitted 'we are all scared in front of this situation.'
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned the country 'is going through an unprecedented fire season,' with 116,085 hectares (286,852 acres) burned and 13,566 fire starts recorded since January. He revealed on X that nine out of 10 fires 'are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution.' But he also noted that not all are accidents - some are deliberately set, and since 6 July, 162 arrests have taken place. So if you were planning an arson spree, maybe reconsider.
Wildfires are also burning in several other French regions, including Var and Landes, and Haute-Corse on the island of Corsica. Meanwhile, neighboring Spain on Monday entered its fifth day of a national emergency because of raging wildfires west of the capital Madrid. BBC Verify analyzed satellite imagery showing the spread of the wildfire west of Madrid, which has now affected more than 27,000 hectares. The images, captured on 24 and 26 July, show how the fire spread over two days after several blazes merged into one large fire. Local officials have warned that the region faces the 'worst fires in its history.'
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world, and Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires. In other words, the planet is sending a very clear message, and it's not 'let's have another barbecue.'