Bordeaux residents are in a state of anxiety as a wildfire lies just 15 km from their city, painting the skyline with a thick orange haze. Local Pierre Pourquery said many people are wearing masks and struggling to breathe as the smoke settles over the city.
The fire has split the region, and neighbours in the seaside resort of Biscarrosse Plage have also experienced intense fear. One woman told the BBC that the stress and trauma after a wildfire ripped through the town were “immense.” The community even opened homes to evacuees during the crisis.
Firefighters in France and Spain are working to tangle the flames across tens of thousands of hectares. Over 300 000 people have already been evacuated in both countries. “Everyone had to get out of the village quickly,” said Spanish resident Olga Congacha, remarking how critical the situation was and the terror felt.
In France’s southern town of Cotignac, 700 km away, Jo Barnes’ family returned to find the fire within 10 m of their property, yet their home remained intact. The hillside around them had been charred and blackened, but the town was untouched.
French holidaymakers also felt the impact, with visitors to the Gironde coast reporting ash falling and the air filled with acrid fumes. James Hillier, who had gone to see his son in Lacanau, described how “the whole town got consumed by smoke.” While his wife, having masked her face against the smell, ultimately moved to the north to escape the haze.
Tourists from the UK were forced to shorten their holiday, and Sarah from Hertfordshire sealed their apartment to stave off the smoke smell. Cross‑border families faced significant financial losses when hotels were forced to cancel pre‑arranged stays, with some potentially losing over £3,500 if no refunds were offered.
The fires have urged communities to rethink safety protocols in the face of an increasingly volatile climate, with wildfires growing in intensity and threatening more homes, jobs and leisure activities in Europe.
