Residents of Gironde in southwestern France have described their terror and uncertainty after being forced to flee a massive wildfire that has burned 42,000 hectares, an area four times the size of Paris. The blaze, one of the biggest land devastations since World War II, prompted one of the largest evacuations in modern French history, with 220,000 people ordered to leave their homes.
Evacuees Share Harrowing Experiences
Krishma, an interpreter, and her husband Nassir, an English literature graduate from Kabul living in France for seven years, evacuated their suburban street in Mérignac at midnight on Friday. With their two children aged 10 and eight, they packed toothbrushes, toys, one change of clothes, and personal documents. By Monday, they were among hundreds sheltering on camp beds in a hangar at Bordeaux's exhibition centre, unsure when they could return. "We couldn't breathe easily, you could feel it in your lungs," Nassir said, describing the acrid smoke that turned the sky dark. Krishma added, "When we were in Afghanistan there were lots of explosions... but when we came here, we never thought there would be a situation like this. It brought us back to the bad memories."
Fire's Unprecedented Scale and Impact
The French government stated on Monday that although the fire had stopped growing, it was still blazing, and a new heatwave could worsen conditions. At least 240 homes were destroyed in wooded areas directly hit by the fire, but unprecedented evacuations also occurred in urban streets as the fire reached 15 km from Bordeaux's outer suburbs. Yves, a former road maintenance worker, fled Le Haillan with his 13-year-old mastiff dog, Ichka, carrying the dog's bed. His wife said, "It was terrifying – you would look up at the sky and it was completely orange, even after nightfall."
Evacuees Describe 'Disaster Movie' Scenes
Others slept in their cars. Loïc, 66, a widower, left his house in Saint-Jean-d'Illac at 1 am on Saturday after a neighbour banged on his door. He grabbed only his wallet and car keys, leaving his phone behind. He watched films in Bordeaux and slept in his car. Florence, a former teaching assistant, evacuated Le Haillan with her two cats. An asthmatic, she had put tape around her windows and wet rags under the door to block smoke. "It felt like being in a disaster movie," she said. "I've always really loved disaster movies – but now I feel like I've actually been in one, so I don't ever want to watch a disaster movie again."
Loss of Forest and Community Grief
Many evacuees expressed deep sadness over the destruction of the Gironde forest. Loïc said, "My generation grew up really attached to nature." Yves's wife added, "I feel quite a lot of anger that all this forest has burned... Seeing all that is beautiful in nature just go up in smoke is extremely painful." The blaze, described as "extremely intense and unpredictable" by authorities, has left thousands in limbo, waiting for permission to return home.
