Wildfires Spread – Dark Clouds Over Bordeaux
The wildfires are drawing ever closer to the French city of Bordeaux. According to the mayor, an evacuation is not planned. Residents and tourists are unsettled.
A strong smell of smoke hangs over the entire city of Bordeaux, seeping through every opening into homes. Authorities have urged people to limit time spent outdoors. Fine particle levels have risen above permissible threshold values.
Charles from Bordeaux is out walking along the banks of the Garonne with his wife Christelle. For the first time since the COVID pandemic, both are wearing FFP2 masks: "It stings in your nose, your eyes, your throat. So we thought it would be better to go outside with masks," says Charles. He has never experienced a fire like this before. "We didn't expect anything like this," he says.
For now, the historic old town of Bordeaux still has the appearance of normality. But the mood is tense. Many people are worried and don't know what the coming days will bring.
"Evacuation of the city of Bordeaux is not planned"
There are no official announcements or instructions about exactly what to do right now, says Lisa, who is from near Stuttgart.
Together with her companion Gaston, Lisa was evacuated from a campsite at Cap Ferret. Their tents are still there, but they now want to leave. There is no sign of the situation easing. On the contrary, the question keeps being raised as to whether the city of Bordeaux itself might eventually need to be evacuated.
Mayor Thomas Cazenave dismisses this: "An evacuation of the city of Bordeaux is not planned. There have been precautionary evacuations in some municipalities of the Bordeaux metropolitan area to protect the civilian population and to avoid having to evacuate in a panic if a fire breaks out."
A David versus Goliath Battle
But some of the fire's offshoots near Bordeaux are now only around 15 kilometres from the city centre. The fire is not even remotely under control. Fire service representatives speak of a David versus Goliath battle.
Emergency services are dealing with a new dimension of wildfires previously unknown in France. "This is a completely unpredictable phenomenon that triggers fire storms with their own winds," says Sophie Brocas, the prefect responsible for the region. "And then the wind fans the fire again on its own."
Prospect of Further Heat
True fire tornadoes are developing, causing the blazes to spread in an uncontrolled manner. Hundreds of homes have already burned to the ground. More than 200,000 people have already been evacuated. They are being housed in emergency shelters or with private individuals. Hotels in Bordeaux have already taken in residents evacuated from care homes for the elderly.
The French government is set to convene another crisis meeting today, chaired by President Emmanuel Macron. Weather conditions are currently rather unfavourable. Strong gusts of wind continue to occur periodically, and temperatures in Bordeaux are expected to reach highs of up to 41 degrees Celsius again later this week.
