France evacuates 4,000 from Atlantic coast tourist sites as wildfires worsen

French authorities have ordered the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from campsites and holiday accommodations along the Atlantic coast near Lacanau as worsening wildfire conditions threaten to reignite flames in southwestern France. Rising temperatures, low humidity and smouldering vegetation have kept firefighters on high alert despite containing the main blaze.

The fire, which has burned about 420 square kilometres (162 square miles) near the commune of Saumos in the Gironde region, remains unstable. Officials warned that the return of hot, dry weather could trigger new flare-ups, prompting precautionary evacuations around Lacanau Océan and Lacanau Lake, popular summer holiday destinations.

French firefighters have spent days building more than 103 kilometres of firebreaks to stop the blaze from spreading. Authorities said 93 firefighters have been injured during firefighting operations, although no fatalities have been reported from the latest fire.


In neighbouring Landes, where another major wildfire forced around 15,000 people to flee last week, authorities have allowed residents to return after declaring the blaze under control. However, officials cautioned that hotspots remain and residents should stay alert.

The latest evacuations come after France endured weeks of destructive wildfires fuelled by repeated heatwaves and dry conditions. The country's southwest, including areas near Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast, has been among the hardest hit, with tens of thousands of residents and tourists evacuated over the past week.

Wildfires are also continuing to burn across Spain, where authorities are battling what officials describe as the country's largest wildfire on record. Spain has declared a national wildfire emergency as extreme heat continues across the Iberian Peninsula.