Overview
- The blaze that began during clearing works has been held inside an estimated 42,000 hectares and has not expanded for several days, though active hotspots persist and the fire is not yet declared fixed.
- Investigators say an Enedis subcontractor's clearing operation on July 22 likely started the fire, and nationwide probes have led to about 308 arrests with many cases suspected to be deliberate ignitions.
- More than 3,300 firefighters remain on site supported by roughly 1,500 military personnel, 1,250 police and gendarmes and about 24 aircraft, using tactics such as tactical burns, water saturation of hotspots and long firebreaks.
- Progressive returns have been authorized as conditions improved, including a decision on July 30 allowing some 84,000 residents to go home, while tens of thousands remain displaced and two firefighters have died in the operations.
- The Gironde emergency is part of an exceptional 2026 fire season in France and Europe, with record areas burned, international aid arriving (including Ukrainian teams) and a risk that smouldering 'fire zombie' patches could flare up for months.