France's largest wildfire since 1949, which erupted more than a week ago in the Gironde department near the southwestern city of Bordeaux, has been brought under control, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Saturday, August 1st, 2026. "The fire is under control, it's no longer progressing," Nunez stated, while noting that some active fires still persist in certain areas.
Despite this progress, regional firefighting official Eric Pitault reported on Saturday morning that the fire is "still not under control," highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by emergency teams. Sophie Brocas, prefect of the Gironde region, described the area as "coming up for air" after more than a week of relentless firefighting efforts supported by water-bombing aircraft and volunteers.
In southeastern France, firefighters have also managed to halt the advance of a fast-moving wildfire in the Var department. Strong winds on Friday caused flames to spread rapidly over 1,000 hectares, with regional prefect Simon Babre describing the fire's speed as "faster than a galloping horse." This blaze is one of several that have consumed a total of 5,600 hectares (138,000 acres) in the region during July. Among those affected were Hollywood actor George Clooney, his wife Amal, and their children, who were forced to evacuate their home earlier this week.
France has been battling numerous wildfires for weeks, triggered by a series of deadly heatwaves that have dried up riverbeds and vegetation. Scientists have linked these extreme weather events to human-made climate change.
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