Two major fires are being tackled in south-west France, the Landes and Arcachon

France is facing two major fires this Friday, one in the Landes and the other in Arcachon Bay. The prefect of New Aquitaine and Gironde (government delegate), Sophie Brocas, has described them as "summer ogres" and, in the case of the second, has warned that "XXL" is proportionate and "unpredictable."

In total, 2,600 hectares of Las Landas Biscarros have been burned and 105 homes and buildings have been severely damaged, while Arcachon has burned more than 10,000 hectares.

The flames of the Biscarros have continued to advance and it has been "absolutely essential" to evacuate 18,000 people from the city centre and another 5,000 from Parentis, Landes Prefect Gilles Clavreul said at a press conference.

Fire "XXL" in Arcachon

Brocas has warned that the Arcachon fire is still out of control, in addition to a severe drought situation in the area and strong winds are expected to complicate extinction efforts.

He explained that the authorities have pre-emptively evacuated some 35,000 people in the last two days in the bay, including the entire Cap Ferret peninsula, which has some 40,000 residents and visitors during the high season, after the early morning fire broke the line of defense that the firefighters had maintained for two days.

1,000 firefighters, 440 gendarmes, 260 vehicles and a large ground device are involved in the operations, reinforced this Friday with four planes, three water bombers and helicopters.

Evacuations have intensified and in the towns of Andernos-les-Bains, Ares, Le Temple and Saumos citizens are still out of their homes, where campsites abound, and in the middle of the tourist season.

Marc Vermeulen, director of the Gironda Fire and Rescue Department Service, said at the same hearing that the fire had "worse conditions than in 2022", the year the region suffered the biggest fires in its history.