Saumos Megafire in Gironde Declared Extinguished

Overview

• The Préfecture de Gironde announced the Saumos wildfire is extinguished after burning roughly 42,000 hectares, with officials reporting 37,296 hectares destroyed.
• The blaze forced evacuations of about 224,000 people across 23 communes and destroyed 252 houses and other buildings, and authorities reported no fatalities.
• France mounted a massive response that at its peak involved about 3,300 firefighters plus military, police, gendarmes, forest workers, farmers and volunteers.
• Forestry and safety work have resumed in the burned massif, focusing on felling and removing charred timber to prevent falling trees and pest outbreaks and to secure access for recovery.
• Officials warn drought and weather risks persist, keeping the department on yellow vigilance and leaving long-term questions for forest management, local economies and tourism recovery.