The fire continues to advance in Gironde where more than 2,700 hectares of forest have already been burned, due to two separate fires, separated by about forty kilometers.
Hundreds of firefighters are mobilized, with the support of air reinforcement.
Tourists and residents were evacuated.
Two ongoing fires
Two fires started Tuesday in Gironde: one in Landiras, south of Bordeaux, and another in La Teste-de-Buch, north of Biscarrosse, in the Arcachon basin.
The areas burned so far are enormous: 1,500 hectares for the first fire and 1,200 for the second.
A balance sheet which should further increase as the fires continue to advance.
The intensity of the fires is such that the fires would be visible from space.
The two #fires in #Gironde seen today (07/13) from space by the Terra (morning) and Aqua (afternoon) satellites.
The plumes of smoke give an idea of the intensity of the fires and the wind.
No image of #Sentinel2 today #Wildfire #fires #wildfire #fires pic.twitter.com/ujFukn4yKB
— Regards sur la Terre (@RegardSurTerre) July 13, 2022
“These are major fires, not mega-fires”, specified the prefect who had just flown over the area in a helicopter, evoking “a 5 km fire front”.
“The problem is that they take place at the same time,” she observed.
The fires are fed “by dry vegetation, in particular the undergrowth.
Obviously the heat doesn't help,” she added.
Hundreds of firefighters mobilized
800 firefighters are mobilized on these fires, trying to contain the fires.
“Four Canadairs are also deployed, as well as two Dash planes, which intervene in addition”, indicated at 12 p.m. the prefecture of Gironde, in a press release.
Three bomber planes joined them in the afternoon.
“Given the scale of the forest fires in Gironde, where 1,500 hectares have already been burned, I am going there this afternoon to the firefighters and elected officials,” posted Gérald Darmanin on Twitter.
The Minister of the Interior is expected at the end of the afternoon on site.
"Thousands of other hectares are still threatened, we are fully mobilized", he did not hide.
Evacuated areas
During the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, some 6,000 people staying in five campsites in the very touristic area of Pilat were evacuated as a precaution to the La Teste-de-Buch exhibition center.
They will not be able to return to their campsite this Wednesday, the prefecture has already specified.
No injuries are reported so far.
Evacuations also took place, as a precaution, on Tuesday evening in five hamlets and in the village of Guillos, i.e. around 500 people.
"There were flames at the top of the trees 30 m high, we saw them coming towards the village, it was very impressive," said Mayor Mylène Doreau.
“These inhabitants must above all not return to their homes, the situation is too dangerous”, indicated to Sud-Ouest the sub-prefect of Langon Vincent Ferrier.