Nunez announced that the fire had ceased spreading, though a few active hotspots persisted. Meanwhile, firefighters also succeeded in slowing down another rapid wildfire in the Var department located in southeastern France.

Thousands of hectares destroyed

The destructive Gironde wildfire scorched approximately 42,000 hectares of pine forest and ruined around 240 homes along the Atlantic coast close to Bordeaux. The vast majority of the roughly 220,000 residents who had been evacuated from the danger zones have now been able to return home.

Record wildfire season

France has faced a severe wave of wildfires driven by consecutive heatwaves that heavily dried out vegetation and heightened fire hazards. Climate scientists attribute these extreme weather conditions directly to human-induced climate change.

Satellite records from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) indicate that France has lost roughly 92,000 hectares to fires this year, marking the highest burned area recorded in over twenty years.