Paris (EFE).- French authorities ordered the evacuation of the inhabitants of the town of Marcheprime and three neighborhoods in the village of Cestas, located less than 20 kilometers from Bordeaux, due to the advance of the mega-fire that originated in the nearby Arcachon Bay on Wednesday and has already forced more than 167,000 people to leave their homes or vacation residences.
In response to the new outbreak of the fire, the prefect (government delegate) of Gironde, Sophie Brocas, ordered the “immediate” evacuation of residents in the town of Marcheprime, located less than 30 kilometers from Bordeaux, and from three neighborhoods in the municipality of Cestas, about 17 kilometers from the departmental capital; an operation that is being carried out “door-to-door by security forces,” according to a statement.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez warned that the forest fire affecting the Gironde department will require a prolonged intervention and noted that the thousands of evacuees will not be able to return to their homes until the fire is completely stabilized.
The alert remains in the area. In an interview published this Sunday by the weekly La Tribune du Dimanche and released by the newspaper this Saturday in its digital version, Nuñez stated that the authorities will not authorize the return of the population while the risk of the fire reigniting persists, due to the abundant vegetation that covers the area and which can favor new outbreaks even after the flames appear to be under control.
The fire, which remains active, has razed about 32,700 hectares in Gironde and has forced the evacuation of about 167,000 people, according to the most recent report, to which are now added about 8,000 from the evacuations ordered tonight.
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The minister stressed that the extinguishing will be a long process and highlighted the usefulness of the military deployment ordered by the French Government to reinforce emergency efforts. Since Saturday night, some 1,500 soldiers have been participating in support of the firefighting teams.
He maintained that the country currently has sufficient aerial resources to fight fires, while recalling that the fleet will be reinforced with the addition of two new Canadair aircraft in 2028 and another two in 2032. However, he acknowledged that the response strategy must adapt to the geographical expansion of fire risk, which now affects practically the entire French territory.
