Gironde megafire, France's biggest since 1949, declared out after 69 days
The Saumos wildfire that forced 224,000 people to flee southwest France is now fully extinguished, more than two months after it began.
France's biggest wildfire since 1949 is now fully extinguished, more than two months after flames tore through the Gironde region and sent roughly 224,000 people fleeing their homes at the height of the crisis, the departmental prefecture said on Monday.
The fire began on 22 July near the village of Saumos, in the Landes de Gascogne forest of southwest France, and went on to burn 42,000 hectares, of which 37,296 were destroyed, according to a prefecture statement carried by La Dépêche du Midi.
As the flames advanced, they threatened the tourist peninsula of Cap-Ferret and the western edge of Bordeaux, at one point generating a pyrocumulonimbus, a storm cloud formed by intense heat, La Dépêche reported. Aftenposten, the Norwegian newspaper that visited the region during the fire, put the burned area at about 420 square kilometres.
Some residents who fled the flames had only minutes to grab essential belongings from their homes, Aftenposten reported.
Firefighters halted the fire's advance on 1 August, though it kept smouldering underground for weeks afterwards. More than 3,300 firefighters were joined by soldiers, police officers, foresters, farmers and volunteers in the response, which Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas called the biggest anti-fire mobilisation in the modern history of France's civil security service, La Dépêche reported.
No deaths were reported, the prefecture said. Franceinfo reported the fire has cost the Gironde departmental council 11 million euros, a bill the council says it cannot cover alone, and it has asked the state for exceptional aid. On 22 September, 36 people affected by the fire, including 29 residents of Le Porge who lost their homes, filed formal complaints, with those residents saying they were frustrated by slow-moving insurers and administrative delays, Franceinfo reported.
France has recorded close to 98,000 hectares burned by wildfire so far this year, according to provisional figures cited by La Dépêche, in what officials describe as the country's worst year for burned area since 1976.
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What we know
- The Saumos wildfire in Gironde, which began 22 July, was declared extinguished on 28 September after burning 42,000 hectares.
- Around 224,000 people were evacuated at the height of the fire; the prefecture reported no deaths.
- More than 3,300 firefighters took part in what officials called the largest firefighting operation in modern French civil security history.
- The fire has cost the Gironde departmental council 11 million euros, and 36 people affected, including 29 who lost homes in Le Porge, filed complaints on 22 September.
Why it matters for Europe
It is the largest wildfire recorded in France since 1949 and part of the country's worst year for burned area since 1976, close to 98,000 hectares, illustrating the scale of wildfire risk now facing southwest Europe even after the immediate flames are brought under control. The financial and legal fallout, a multi-million-euro bill for one department and residents turning to the courts over slow insurance payouts, shows the crisis outlasting the fire itself.
Sources
Reported by 11 reports from 9 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- La Dépêche du Midi: Incendie en Gironde : le mégafeu de 42 000 hectares déclaré "éteint" deux mois après, annonce la préfecture du département
- Libération: Le mégafeu en Gironde est enfin déclaré «éteint», deux mois après avoir démarré à Saumos
- Franceinfo: Le mégafeu de Saumos en Gironde, qui a parcouru 42 000 hectares cet été, est officiellement "éteint" deux mois après, annonce la préfecture
- France 24: France puts out massive fire that torched 42,000 hectares and smouldered for 69 days
- Aftenposten: Frankrike har slukket landets største skogbrann siden 1949
Source balance
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Confidence and impact scores, 4 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- Where did the Gironde megafire start?
- It began on 22 July near the village of Saumos in the Landes de Gascogne forest in southwest France.
- How large was the fire and was anyone killed?
- It burned 42,000 hectares and the prefecture reported no deaths.
- What happened after the fire was contained?
- It kept smouldering underground for weeks after being brought under control on 1 August, and was declared fully extinguished on 28 September.
This article was written with AI assistance from 9 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.