Wildfires in France's Gironde region have flared up again, prompting new evacuations as the area braces for a forecast high of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). On Tuesday morning, the prefect of Gironde ordered the evacuation of all campsites near the coastal town of Lacanau, while residents in the town itself were instructed to prepare for a potential swift evacuation. Approximately 4,000 tourists have been asked to leave the area, adding to the hundreds of thousands evacuated across France in recent days.
Officials report that an estimated 240 homes and houses have been destroyed by the fires. Firefighters were actively engaged in tackling fires across the region by Tuesday midday as they intensified.
In a separate incident, a 23-year-old man was arrested in the Var region on suspicion of starting a fire and faces a potential 15-year prison sentence.
Impact on Tourism and Local Life
Peggy Plouhinec, general director of the Château Picque Caillou wine estate near Bordeaux, stated that while her vineyards were not directly threatened, the pervasive smoke had caused her business to close over the weekend. Although a bout of rain on Sunday night provided some relief, she noted that tourists had largely deserted the region. "The hospitality sector will be impacted this summer, that's for sure," she said. "What is happening is unprecedented. We're lucky that we haven't been too affected yet, but the business will still suffer from the lower numbers of tourists."
Plouhinec also highlighted the broader impact, noting that "many people have lost their homes or their businesses, not to mention the firefighters who have been hard at work for weeks now and who must be exhausted."
One resident of Cap Ferret, a peninsula evacuated late last week, expressed concern for his community. "Everyone talks about saving Bordeaux, but in Bordeaux there's nothing but concrete. Have you ever seen concrete burn?" he asked. "Here, there are only trees... and when you see all that has burned, it's a catastrophe."
Firefighters are preparing for a significant increase in temperatures on Wednesday, which is expected to further challenge efforts to contain the existing wildfires.