A wildfire on the Cap Ferret peninsula in southwest France has burned approximately 21,500 acres, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate by boat. The blaze started on Tuesday in Saumos and spread overnight across 8,700 hectares.
Evacuations Underway
Hundreds of survivors have fled by boat, with evacuations taking place from four piers between 7am and 10am local time. Over 400 people have been transported by boat from the peninsula, which stretches along France's Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux. People have also been told to leave via the main road towards Bordeaux.
Sophie Brocas, the region's prefect, said the "final phase" of the evacuation began early on Friday morning.
Firefighter Casualties
Two firefighters were killed while fighting the blaze near Bordeaux Airport on Tuesday. Officials said there have been no new injuries as of Friday.
Government Response
President Emmanuel Macron called the situation "very tense" and requested help from the European Union. In a post on X, he said: "The situation remains under very high tension in the face of the fires ravaging the country, particularly in Gironde. My thoughts go out to our firefighters and the rescue forces who are battling relentlessly on the fire front. Their courage commands respect. I call on our fellow citizens to exercise the utmost vigilance. Every gesture counts to protect our lives, our homes, our forests, our landscapes."
Macron added that aircraft from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia will soon be mobilised to support France.
Ongoing Challenges
Gironde fire service chief Marc Vermeulen warned that rising temperatures and strong winds could worsen the situation. He said Thursday: "The work was relentless all night. It'll peak at 8pm. Then we'll have to deal with... highly variable winds so we're currently tackling a fire that is going to be difficult to predict and that's why we cannot relax our guard."
