Cotignac was among the areas affected as France evacuated nearly 4,000 people from tourist sites on the Atlantic coast on Tuesday. Sophie Brocas said the situation in Nouvelle-Aquitaine was “stabilised,” but warned that the fight against the blaze continues.
Firefighters were racing to control the wildfires before the fourth heatwave hit France and Spain. In Spain, local evacuation orders were lifted in parts of the country and the first residents were set to return in the coming hours, while tens of thousands remained displaced.
Sophie Brocas in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Brocas, the prefect of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, described the situation as “stabilised” after the evacuations under way on Tuesday. Her warning that the fight continues points to a changing field rather than a finished operation, with local flare-ups still endangering the firefighting effort.
The Atlantic coast evacuations concentrated the pressure on tourist sites, where nearly 4,000 people were moved as crews tried to keep the fire line from widening. In Spain, the lift on some evacuation orders and the expected return of first residents gave the first sign of relief, but the wider displacement remained large.
France and Spain response
Pooled resources managed by the EU remained deployed to both countries as the fires followed brutal heatwaves that had dried out landscapes. Simon Stiell said the costs of the climate crisis are now reaching national emergency levels and added: “The climate alarm is blaring, from every direction.”
He also said, “The science on the cause is unequivocal: global heating is making protracted heatwaves, severe floods and violent mega-storms more frequent, more intense and more costly.” He said, “What needs to be done is equally clear: leave coal, oil and gas behind faster, scale up renewables, and protect people where the impacts are already hitting hardest.”
For people moved from the Atlantic coast and for those still displaced in Spain, the immediate question is how fast crews can hold the line before the fourth heatwave arrives. The first returns in Spain may ease pressure locally, but the operation still depends on whether the flare-ups stay contained.
