France: Nearly 170,000 evacuated as wildfires burn more than 74,000 acres in southwestern France.

RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “MARSEILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY— MARSEILLE, FRANCE (JULY 24, 2026) (MARSEILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT - RESTRICTED) 1. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING BLAZE/ HELICOPTER DROPPING WATER/ FIRE ENGINE MOVING/ PHOTOGRAPHS OF FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS MARSEILLE, FRANCE (JULY 24, 2026) - RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT “MARSEILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT” HANDOUT, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY—: Nearly 170,000 people were evacuated as the ongoing fire in France's southwestern Gironde department burned more than 30,000 hectares (74,131 acres), broadcaster BFMTV reported Saturday. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced in a news briefing that a total of 167,000 people had been evacuated due to the fire that has been raging since Wednesday in Gironde and is heading towards the Bordeaux urban area. Nunez noted that 57,000 people were evacuated around the fire region overnight. He also reaffirmed that 500 soldiers had been deployed in Gironde, with another 500 expected to arrive in the coming hours. He added that 18 aerial assets had been mobilized, including Canadair and Dash aircraft, and officially announced the first deployment of the A400M this afternoon. Nunez further noted that slightly less than 98,000 hectares (242,000 acres) had been burned across France as of Saturday with the progression of the Gironde fire, calling the figure a "historic record." Earlier in the day, Biganos Mayor Bruno Lafon told BFMTV that the Gironde fire had already covered more than 30,000 hectares. Nunez also said that around 30,000 people had been evacuated and 550 firefighters had been mobilized due to an ongoing fire in the neighboring Landes department. In the southeastern Var department, another ongoing fire reportedly had covered 3,250 hectares (8,030 acres) and prompted the deployment of around 1,000 firefighters. Authorities told BFMTV that working conditions remained complicated and even "catastrophic" as swirling winds created "the evolution of a fire that can no longer be controlled."