Credits: CC0-Photographers / PxHere.
At 1 p.m. this Tuesday, July 28, the Gironde wildfire remained officially stabilized at 42,000 hectares. Two hours and 45 minutes later, however, the prefecture reported several flare-ups in areas that had already burned, notably in Lège/Grand Crohot and Marcheprime. With temperatures expected to peak on Wednesday, emergency crews are reinforcing the fire lines and authorities have evacuated 4,000 vacationers in Lacanau as a precaution.
Flare-Ups In An Area Already Burned
The situation became more tense over the course of the afternoon. In its 1 p.m. update, the prefecture kept the fire status as “stabilized” and the area burned at 42,000 hectares. At 3:45 p.m., it reported several flare-ups within that perimeter. They were concentrated in Lège, Grand Crohot, and Marcheprime. All available resources were mobilized to deal with them.
These local flare-ups do not automatically increase the recorded area. When they affect land already burned over, the same hectares are not counted twice. They do, however, show that the lull remains fragile. No new overall advance of the front had been announced at that time.
The material toll remained provisional, with 240 homes destroyed. On Tuesday morning, 93 firefighters had been injured since the start of the event. The latest detailed official update, published on Monday, had recorded no casualties among the population.
“Stabilized” Does Not Mean “Fixed”
A stabilized fire has its spread temporarily contained within its perimeter. This term does not mean that all its edges are secure, or that hot spots have disappeared. A fire that is fixed should no longer be able to spread under the conditions at the time. It then still has to be brought under control, and then completely extinguished.
In Gironde, the work is therefore focused on the fire’s edges and possible reactivations. Crews are also carrying out tactical cuts: they clear vegetation to create breaks in the fuel and make intervention easier. On Tuesday morning, 103 kilometers of these cuts had been created, compared with 97 kilometers in the official report the day before.
The response remained exceptional: 2,750 firefighters, backed by European teams, and 18 aircraft were deployed at the 1 p.m. update. They were also receiving support from military personnel, internal security forces, farmers, and construction companies.
In Lacanau, An Evacuation Before The Weather Deteriorates
The 4,000 occupants of campgrounds, tourist residences, vacation villages, and amusement parks in Lacanau were evacuated as a precaution. Mayor Laurent Peyrondet announced early in the afternoon that the operation was complete and had gone smoothly. The decision targeted the most vulnerable accommodations, including tents, mobile homes, and wooden structures.
This measure does not prove that the front was already advancing toward Lacanau. It responded to a risk scenario in an area where the fire had not been fixed. It adds to the massive protective effort launched since July 22. As of July 27, the prefecture counted nearly 220,000 cumulative precautionary evacuations across 23 municipalities. That total does not mean 220,000 people were displaced at the same time.
Wednesday, The Expected Heat Peak
Météo-France is forecasting a peak on Wednesday, July 29. Temperatures will often exceed 37°C in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Local highs of 40 to 41°C are expected in the Southwest. In its July 28 bulletin, the agency also notes widespread dryness in the soils. Their level is approaching the lowest all-time records observed in France.
Heat and wind, combined with low humidity, can dry out vegetation even more. A still-hot spot can then help the fire spread rapidly. Météo-France does specify, however, that its Forest Weather report measures conditions favorable to ignition and spread. It does not predict whether a fire will start or how an existing fire will evolve.
A Leading Theory In The Investigation
The cause of the fire has not yet been legally established. The Bordeaux prosecutor nevertheless confirmed to franceinfo that the leading theory involved a brush-clearing operation around a power line. A company working for Enedis had carried it out. According to the magistrate, it had not violated regulations.
This line of inquiry remains separate from the factors that now make firefighting more difficult. Drought, heat, and wind can reactivate or accelerate the fire, without by themselves explaining how it started in the first place.