As forest fires raced through the pine forests around the south-western French city of Bordeaux, resident Nicolas Kopniaieff was convinced his house would burn down.
Built to resemble a wood cabin, it lies on the edge of the forest on the northern shore of the Arcachon Bay, popular with tourists for its colourful fishing villages and oyster ports.
“I was sure I'd lose my house; it sits right on the edge of the woods and our forests here are very dense. I was incredibly lucky,” Mr Kopniaieff told The National.
He has found shelter in Le Pilat, a beach town that lies further south and closer to the Atlantic Ocean, where the winds bring cleaner air than the smoke-infested atmosphere in his village of Andernos-les-Bains and the nearby city of Bordeaux in the Gironde region.
Wildfires have burnt through 42,000 hectares since last week, causing motorways to shut and train services to be suspended. At least 220,000 people have been evacuated.
With fire now only 15km from Bordeaux, many fear the city, where temperatures are set to reach close to 40°C this week, will also have to be evacuated.
“It is an extraordinary fire,” Mr Kopniaieff said. “It is titanic. It is dramatic and any scenario is possible – like something out of a science-fiction movie."
'Trapped'
Just over 20km from Andernos-les-Bains, the village of Le Porge was destroyed, with fires leaping through it on Wednesday and then again the next day.
The atmosphere, Mr Kopniaieff said, was “heavy”, as people remained confined in their homes. “It’s a wartime scenario. It’s a very, very strange feeling – being somewhat cut off from everything – and especially with the fire shifting direction. You feel a bit trapped.”
French President Emmanuel Macron will be travelling to the Gironde area on Monday afternoon to address the situation. “He will meet the mobilised personnel to convey the nation's support, as well as with elected officials, to thank them for their unwavering commitment,” his office said.
Much of Europe has suffered a severe heatwave in recent weeks, increasing the fire risk. Neighbouring Spain has moved more than 75,000 people out of danger zones and ordered another 30,000 to stay indoors.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Sunday night: “We are dealing with a fire that is currently out of control and at fairly regular intervals shifting direction towards the metropolitan area” of Bordeaux. “The fire is completely erratic, capable of jumping distances of up to a kilometre at times.”
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Spain's Military Emergencies Unit personnel fight a wildfire near Navas del Rey, 55km south-west of Madrid. AFP -
Scorched ground in the Camino de Navahonda area, following a wildfire near Robledo de Chavela, 60km west of Madrid. AFP -
A man and his dog look out over a wildfire in a mountain in Onda, Spain, on July 27. Reuters -
Pedalo boats on a reservoir shrouded in smoke from a wildfire near Navas del Rey. AFP -
Burnt buildings in an area affected by a wildfire, in Le Porge, Gironde, amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France. Reuters -
The wildfire ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin since July 22 is also threatening the outskirts of Bordeaux, France. AFP -
People displaced by the wildfires are being housed at an exhibition centre in Bordeaux. AFP -
Burnt cars following a wildfire in Gironde's Le Porge commune in France. AFP -
The Paris Fire Brigade in action at Marcheprime, west of Bordeaux. AFP -
Smoke from nearby 'unpredictable' wildfires cover the Bordeaux city skyline on July 26. AFP -
Wildfires also broke out across parts of Spain from July 24, with firefighters from the Castilla-y-Leon Military Emergencies unit battling blazes in a forest next to La Atalaya residential area, 80km west of Madrid. AFP -
In western Madrid, two wildfires merged into a massive blaze with residents helping to water the soil in the industrial area of San Martin de Valdeiglesias. AFP -
A Community of Madrid forest ranger rescues a dog from a house evacuated due to the San Martin de Valdeiglesias wildfire. AFP -
Queen Letizia of Spain visits evacuees from the Madrid wildfire who are sheltered at La Chopera sports centre in Villamanta. AFP -
Smoke rises from a wildfire progressing in Betxi, Spain. Reuters -
A hydroplane sprays water to extinguish a fire in Betxi, Castellon. EPA -
Martin de Valdeiglesias residents help Spain's Military Emergencies unit tackle the wildfire in wooded areas. Reuters
Anger is rising among residents, who will not be able to return until the fire is under control. Only seven out of 12 Canadair water-bombing aircraft are currently operational in the country – a number viewed by many as insufficient to fight the unprecedented fires.
'Inadequate resources'
“The firefighters on the ground have to contend with extremely violent winds and fires, so they need backup to hold the line. Without aerial support, it’s a difficult situation,” Mr Kopniaieff said. “Clearly, the resources we had for this type of fire were inadequate.”
With peak fire season yet to come, this year's fires in the Gironde region look set to exceed the record of 66,000 hectares destroyed in 2022.
Then, the number of people evacuated was much lower than now – at 20,000 – because the fires burnt through forests far from residential areas.
France is now stepping up its response by deploying A400Ms, military transport aircraft repurposed for firefighting. Last week, the French army sent in 1,500 military personnel to help firefighters, including with evacuations and opening roads for tanker lorries in forested areas. Military surveillance drones are also monitoring the fires.
France and Spain, where fires are moving towards areas west of the capital Madrid, have activated the EU’s civil protection mechanism. It allows the pooling of firefighting capacities with other EU countries.
The blazes in France have been described by local authorities as “firestorms” – an upwards movement of hot air that forms a cloud of fire high in the sky. They are accompanied by lightning and wind that further fuel the flames.
Mass evacuations have prevented some casualties but two firefighters were found dead two days ago, one inside and one next to their tanker, after they became surrounded by fire. It appears the lorry's protective water-sprinkler system may have failed.
The pine forests near Bordeaux were planted in the 19th century to replace marshlands. They are particularly vulnerable to fire, with highly flammable trees – as are the peat and sand soils. A fire in 1949 destroyed about 50,000 hectares of forest in the area.
But giant fires have become the norm more recently, with hotter summers and drier winters fuelled by climate change. The Bordeaux fires come only two weeks after the worst fire ever in Fontainebleau forest, south of Paris. About 2,000 out of the woodland's 25,000 hectares were burnt.
While affected areas need more support, residents like Mr Kopniaieff refuse to consider leaving. “I remember my grandparents; they experienced exceptional fires in the region. They got back on their feet. They replanted and things started up again,” he said. “As for me, I certainly still see my future in my region and I will stay here.”
