Macron convenes crisis meeting as French wildfires threaten hundreds of thousands

French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a crisis meeting on Monday to coordinate the response to extensive wildfires in southwestern France that have displaced more than 250,000 residents. Officials said the blaze in the Gironde region, which has burned an area four times the size of Paris, remained "globally stable" overnight after earlier days of rapid expansion toward Bordeaux. In the neighboring Landes department, rain fell and conditions were described as "favorable" for firefighting, though officials warned that the situation could change quickly.

No new evacuation orders were issued, but authorities have prohibited holiday camps for children and people with disabilities as the country approaches its peak tourist season in August. The Gironde prefecture reported that 220,000 people have been evacuated from towns and villages near the fire, while 36,000 people in Landes have been allowed to return home after earlier evacuations.

Firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft and ground crews, are working to contain the blaze before a forecast heat surge on Tuesday that could hinder suppression efforts. Crews are using earth-moving equipment to clear strips of forest and scrubland, creating firebreaks, and farmers are supplying water in tanks. Around a dozen countries have sent aircraft, helicopters and personnel to assist France and Spain, where combined wildfires have displaced more than 330,000 people.

Macron did not comment immediately after the meeting, but in a weekend post on X he pledged long-term support for affected communities, stating, "We will rebuild, we will repair and we will be present for as long as necessary."

In Spain, wildfires around Madrid and Valencia have forced the evacuation of 76,000 people and confined another 30,000 to their homes. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the fires are a consequence of a climate emergency that is making wildfires more violent and heat waves more frequent. The fire near Ávila has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching 50,000 hectares.

In Italy’s Puglia region, a wind-driven wildfire near Peschici prompted the evacuation of about 300 tourists from beaches and campsites. Three Canadair water-bombing planes and ground crews continue to fight the blaze, which recalls severe fires that struck the same coastline in 2007.