Massive wildfires sweeping through southwestern France are threatening sensitive defense and nuclear facilities near Bordeaux, forcing evacuations and emergency measures at missile factories, military research facilities, and aerospace plants. The escalating blazes come as France braces for its fourth major heatwave of the year, with soaring temperatures and arid conditions intensifying the pressure on crews battling the massive fires.
Temperatures in the Gironde region, where the fires are concentrated, were forecast to reach 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), significantly above normal levels. President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as the most severe recorded since World War II.
The fires have disrupted more than 13,000 businesses in the Gironde region, many of which have been forced to close or evacuate. The blazes are reportedly closing in on missile and rocket factories that store explosive materials, with at least seven sites holding hazardous substances located within 12 miles of the flames.
Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, west-northwest of Bordeaux, is among the evacuated towns. This area is home to a large factory that produces propellants for Ariane space rockets and France's strategic missiles. A nearby plant in Sainte-Hélène manufactures ammonium perchlorate, a key oxidizer for solid rocket propellants. Factories producing critical components for France's nuclear missiles and Rafale fighter jets are also reportedly under threat.
ArianeGroup evacuated employees from its sites in the fire zone, while France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) closed its military research center in Le Barp as the wildfires advanced. Officials stated there is no risk of radioactive leakage from the CEA facility, as it does not contain nuclear materials.
In response, France has deployed 1,500 military personnel to support firefighting operations and secure strategic industrial sites. These fires have scorched more than 104,000 acres (42,000 hectares) in the Gironde region, making them among France's largest wildfires on record. Approximately 240 homes have been destroyed, and nearly 4,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from campsites and resorts.
Across France and neighboring Spain, approximately 360,000 people have been forced to evacuate in recent days due to widespread wildfires amid one of Europe's worst fire seasons in decades.