Cover image: A firefighter works to extinguish flames during a forest fire outside Lege Cap Ferret, on July 28, 2026. © Ed Jones, AFP

Incoming heatwave set to worsen firefighting conditions in France's southwest

· France 24

While the fire in the southwest of France in the Gironde department remains stabilised, officials are on edge today, as scorching temperatures hit France again. On July 28, there were some 14 incidents where scorched terrain reignited, sending firefighters racing in. With 42,000 hectares burned, and in total over 220,000 evacuated - including some 57,000 from towns outside Bordeaux overnight, the Gironde fire is one of the worst France has ever experienced.