Travelers planning to visit Bordeaux and France’s famed wine region are being urged to delay their trips as a massive wildfire continues to spread across the Gironde department.
Gironde Prefect – the highest State rep. for the department, Sophie Brocas issued an unusually direct appeal ahead of the busy August vacation period, asking visitors not to travel to the region until the fire is brought under control.
“Given the current situation, I strongly encourage tourists not to come to Gironde until the fire is contained,” Brocas said to French public information radio, France Info. She also advised visitors already in the area to consider leaving for other destinations, warning that conditions could deteriorate further. Bordeaux was already covered last week by smoke and clouds turning skies yellow due to the proximity of the fires on the coast. On July 27 in the morning, the blaze was only 30 km from the French metropolis.
The wildfire has now destroyed or damaged about 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres), making it one of the largest wildfire emergencies France has experienced in recent years.
Authorities have evacuated 220,000 people, including 50,000 overnight on Saturday, with no timetable for residents or businesses to return to the affected communities. Officials confirmed that 240 homes have been destroyed, while 75 firefighters have been injured, including ten requiring evacuation for treatment.
More than 5,000 firefighters, police officers, gendarmes and civil protection personnel remain deployed as they battle what officials describe as an unpredictable blaze. Brocas said the fire is behaving unusually, spreading independently of prevailing winds and generating rare “firestorm” events that create their own weather conditions.
Heatwave back this week
Weather forecasts offer little relief. Temperatures are expected to rise again from Tuesday -with a peak expected at 41°- increasing the risk of further fire growth and making firefighting operations even more challenging.
Despite the emergency, Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport remains open and flights continue to operate. Tram and bus services are also running, although the airport tram line is not serving stations between Mérignac Soleil and the airport.
Following a prefectural order, the airport hotel district has been evacuated until further notice. Hotels surrounding the airport have closed, leaving passengers to seek lodging elsewhere in the metropolitan area. Airport terminals also close overnight and cannot provide emergency accommodation.
Travelers with bookings in Bordeaux or the surrounding Gironde region are advised to contact their airlines, hotels and tour operators before departure and monitor official travel updates. While Bordeaux‘s historic city center and airport infrastructure remain operational, access to parts of the surrounding region is severely restricted.
For the tourism industry, the timing could hardly be worse. August is traditionally the peak travel month for Bordeaux’s celebrated vineyards, Atlantic beaches and Bordeaux UNESCO-listed historic center.
