Wildfires Threaten Bordeaux Wine Region
Massive wildfires threatening the French wine region of Bordeaux and multiple sites across Spain have forced authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents as crews race against the clock to contain the blazes.
Racing Against the Clock
Firefighters sought to take advantage of more favorable weather conditions on Monday to subdue the massive fires near the Atlantic coast. They were racing against the clock, as another heatwave is expected to hit both countries later this week, bringing with it blistering temperatures and dry conditions that have plagued Western Europe this summer.
Approximately 220,000 people, including tourists and local residents, have been evacuated in France. Further south in Spain, around 100,000 people have been told to leave their homes or seek shelter, according to officials. The French blazes, which broke out last week near the Atlantic coast, are now only 15km from entry points to the main metropolitan area of Bordeaux.
“This is a fire of a size never seen before,” Jerome Steffe, mayor of Cestas, one of the suburbs just outside the main Bordeaux city area, said on Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to visit the region later on Monday, according to his office.
Related: Policy is more than just what government does
Historic Scale of Destruction
The scale of destruction is unprecedented. In central Spain, three separate fronts remained active in the mountains northwest of Madrid, with authorities estimating that a combined 77,000 hectares have burnt so far across the provinces of Madrid, Toledo, and Avila. The fire in Avila has been classified as the biggest wildfire in recent Spanish history.
The situation in Vall d’Uixó, in the eastern Castellon province, presented an especially dangerous challenge for firefighters. The ground contains old ordnance from the Spanish Civil War that explodes when the flames reach the area, Chevi Bolumar, fire chief of the Valencian Regional Government, told public broadcaster TVE.
“What we’re experiencing isn’t a succession of isolated events. It’s the most painful expression of a climate emergency that is making sixth-generation wildfires more ferocious, heatwaves more frequent, and our territory more vulnerable,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.
The so-called sixth-generation fires are the most extreme and uncontrollable category of forest blazes, capable of generating their own weather and destroying thousands of hectares per hour. Many scientists blame such fires and heatwaves on human-driven climate change.
Climate data supports the government’s assessment. In both Bordeaux and Avila, July high temperatures have averaged 32ºC, almost 6ºC above the month’s normal high between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters climate monitor.
Shock to Regional Economies
The wildfires around Bordeaux in southwestern France have delivered a shock to the regional economy, Finance Minister Roland Lescure said on Monday. The region is one of the centers of French wine production and a major center for tourism.
Related: Hue Attracts Investors With 3 Key Factors
“It’s like a clap of thunder for an area which could have done without this,” Lescure told reporters.
Material damage is one thing, but that can be repaired, so to speak, evacuee Maria Angeles Serrano said. “What really hurts is the emotional loss.”
Climate emergency measures have been mobilized internationally. Under the EU’s civil protection mechanism, Greece and Italy have each sent two Canadair water-bombing aircraft to Spain, while Portugal has deployed more than 100 military personnel and equipment. Two more planes were due to arrive from Turkey, Spain’s interior ministry said. Switzerland is supporting France by sending two Super Puma helicopters and their crews after a request from Paris.
Despite the international aid, the danger remains high. “Today and tomorrow are absolutely key days in tackling this wildfire. From Wednesday onwards, weather forecasts become significantly more unfavorable for firefighting operations, but we remain confident,” said Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez echoed the sentiment, noting that the fire had not spread overnight, but the danger had not passed. “It isn’t contained. I absolutely do not want to sound reassuring. That is not my intention. We must remain very focused and very determined,” he said.
