Firefighting crews in southwest France are working to secure a massive wildfire that has scorched an area four times the size of Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced Monday that the blaze has ceased its growth, offering the first signs of containment since the inferno forced 220,000 people to flee their homes in the region surrounding Bordeaux.
Despite this progress, officials warn that the battle is far from won, as woodlands remain smoldering and a significant rise in temperatures is expected to complicate efforts starting Tuesday. Nunez emphasized that the situation remains precarious, noting that crews must remain highly concentrated and determined to act at any moment.
President Emmanuel Macron convened a crisis meeting on Monday to address the situation in the Gironde region, alongside other ongoing firefighting efforts across the country. According to the Gironde prefecture, the status of the fire remained globally stable overnight, a notable shift from previous days when flames had reached within 15 kilometers (10 miles) of the outskirts of Bordeaux, a historic city of 268,000 residents.
In previous days, the blaze had generated self-feeding firestorms, with lightning bolts even igniting additional fires.
In the neighboring Landes region, where hundreds of firefighters have been making progress against a smaller but virulent fire, the prefecture reported that some rain fell overnight. While officials described these conditions as favorable for firefighting, they cautioned that the situation could change rapidly.
The strategy to combat the flames involves thousands of personnel on the ground supported by rotations of water- and retardant-dropping aircraft.
Crews are also using earth-moving equipment to tear up strips of forest and scrubland to create barren spaces intended to stop the fire from spreading. Local farmers are actively assisting the effort by transporting water to the front lines in tanks.
The international community has stepped in to support both France and Spain, with approximately a dozen countries providing helicopters, planes, firefighters, and other assistance. Combined, wildfires in France and Spain have forced more than 330,000 people to flee.
President Macron, while not commenting immediately following the crisis meeting, previously pledged long-term support for affected communities on X, stating that the government would rebuild, repair, and remain present for as long as necessary.
The impact of the fires extends across the border into Spain, where blazes continue to burn out of control around Madrid and in the Valencia region. Spanish authorities have evacuated 76,000 individuals and confined 30,000 others to their homes. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the events as a consequence of a climate emergency, noting that the heat waves are making wildfires more violent and frequent.
In Ávila, west of Madrid, a fire has scorched 500 square kilometers (193 square miles), making it the largest in Spanish history—an area five times the size of Barcelona. Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen noted that fires have burned 153 square kilometers (590 square miles) in Spain this year, which is six times the area scorched during the first half of 2025.
The situation remains dire for evacuees, many of whom are anxious about the state of their homes. Rocío Domínguez, who fled with her dog, Simba, from Chapinería, west of Madrid, described the scene as apocalyptic, noting that everything was covered in ash and that she did not know if her home would be intact or burned down.
Meanwhile, in Italy, a separate wildfire driven by strong winds broke out Sunday afternoon near Peschici in the Puglia region.
The blaze burned pine forests and scrub, forcing the evacuation of about 300 tourists from beaches and campgrounds. The Italian Coast Guard utilized sea routes to transport visitors to safety in Vieste, where temporary shelters were opened. Three Canadair water-bombing planes and ground crews continued to battle the blaze on Monday, which revived memories of devastating wildfires that hit the same coastal area in 2007.
