Wildfires in France’s Gironde region have escalated over the past few days, forcing the country’s largest peacetime evacuation since the Second World War. With Bordeaux now surrounded by fire-affected areas, here’s what travellers need to know.
Where are the wildfires in France?
The fires are concentrated in Gironde and the neighbouring Landes department in southwest France, with the worst-affected areas including Lège-Cap-Ferret, Le Porge, Saumos and Lacanau, all west of Bordeaux around the Arcachon Basin.
Roughly 30 fires were burning simultaneously in the region over the weekend, with the largest described by France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, as ‘extremely virulent’, at one point generating its own wind and spreading erratically towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
More than 220,000 people have been evacuated in Gironde alone, with a further 36,000 forced to leave their homes in Landes. Some 115,000 hectares have burned across France so far this year, which Nuñez has described as far more than the country has previously experienced. A 60km stretch of the A63 motorway, which runs from Bordeaux towards the Spanish border, has also been closed.
Bordeaux’s mayor has said the city itself is not directly under threat, but surrounding communities have been evacuated. Bordeaux has been shrouded in smoke from the fires nearby, and thousands of evacuees are currently sheltering at the city’s Parc des Expositions exhibition centre.
Is Bordeaux Airport open?
Yes. According to an official update from Bordeaux Airport, the airport is fully operational and commercial flights are running as normal, with priority currently being given to departing flights. Bus and tram services to the airport are also still running, though trams are currently operating non-stop between Mérignac Soleil and the airport, skipping the stop in between.
One thing to be aware of if you’re flying out soon: hotels in the immediate vicinity of the airport have been evacuated by order of the local prefect, and the terminals themselves close overnight, so no overnight accommodation is available on site. If you’re arriving late or departing early, it’s worth booking somewhere outside the evacuation zone.
Is it safe to travel to Bordeaux and southwest France?
As of the latest update, the FCDO has not advised against travel to France, but its guidance has been updated to reflect the wildfires in the southwest of the country. It confirms that French authorities have evacuated campsites, tourist accommodation and some residential areas in Gironde and Landes, that access to affected areas may be restricted, and that roads may close at short notice, with further evacuations possible.
If you’re in the area or planning to travel there, the FCDO advises following instructions from local authorities and emergency services at all times, calling 112 in an emergency, and checking with your accommodation or travel provider before setting off. There’s also a dedicated public information line for the wildfires, open 9am–5pm: +33 (0)9 70 80 90 40 (press 1 for Gironde, 2 for Landes).
Given how quickly the situation has been changing, with temperatures forecast to rise again and officials warning things could get worse before they improve, it’s worth checking the latest FCDO advice, your airline’s status page and local French news close to your travel date, rather than relying on older reports.
What are my rights if I cancel my trip?
In general, package holiday and travel insurance rights depend on official government advice against travel to your specific destination, rather than on a wildfire being nearby.
If your accommodation is inside an evacuation zone or has been forced to close, you should be entitled to alternative accommodation or a refund from your provider, since they’re unable to fulfil the booking. If you’re due to travel to an area that hasn’t been evacuated but is close to the fires, it’s less clear-cut – contact your travel provider or airline directly to ask about rebooking or refund options, and check your travel insurance policy’s specific wording on natural disasters and civil emergencies, since some policies do cover disruption of this kind even without a formal FCDO warning.
More on extreme heat and wildfires in Europe
This is far from an isolated incident this summer, with Spain also declaring a national emergency over wildfires and a severe heatwave in recent days. You can read ’s previous coverage on Spain’s heatwave and wildfires for the wider picture across southern Europe this summer.
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