Wildfires in France's Gironde region have flared up again as firefighters battle to contain them ahead of a fourth heatwave this summer, expected to push temperatures to 40C by Wednesday. Around 2,000 firefighters have been deployed, with the national firefighters' federation describing the effort as "David against Goliath"; four firefighters have died across France in recent weeks. President Emmanuel Macron called it an "unprecedented" wildfire crisis and the toughest since the Second World War, underscoring the scale of the emergency facing the country.

Bordeaux itself is not currently under direct threat, but officials are concerned about the fire's western edge, with one blaze burning just 15km from the city's outskirts and air quality deteriorating sharply, prompting mask-wearing and closed restaurants. Authorities ordered fresh evacuations of coastal campsites at Lacanau on Tuesday, adding roughly 4,000 tourists to the 220,000 already evacuated nationwide, while an estimated 240 homes have been destroyed. A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting a separate fire in the Var region and faces up to 15 years in prison.