{"id":4330,"date":"2026-07-27T15:43:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T15:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330"},"modified":"2026-07-27T15:43:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T15:43:16","slug":"it-looked-like-the-apocalypse-frances-summer-of-deadly-heat-turns-into-a-wildfire-that-is-making-its-own-lightning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Shifting and gusting winds, as well as arid conditions, complicated massive efforts to limit the spread of the monster blaze burning out of control since midweek in France\u2019s Gironde region, where Bordeaux is located. Authorities issued overnight evacuation orders for five more localities southwest of the historic city.<\/p>\n

Read more U.S. to reopen border to Mexican cattle imports after screwworm ban<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation remains very unfavorable,\u201d French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said after what he described as \u201canother difficult night\u201d for fire crews battling round-the-clock against the blaze that has burned an area four times the size of Paris.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe fire became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area,\u201d Nunez posted on X.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt became calmer by the end of the night,\u201d the minister added.<\/p>\n

Pope calls for prayers for victims of the \u2018devastating wildfires\u2019<\/h4>\n

At the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV referenced \u201cthe devastating wildfires\u201d in France and Spain and said: \u201cI express my solidarity and invite everyone to pray for those affected and for the work of the rescue workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

An estimated 42,000 hectares (162 square miles) had burned in Gironde, the region\u2019s prefecture said, much of it forests and scrubland made tinder-dry by\u00a0successive heat waves. That is seven times the area of Manhattan island and four times the size of Paris.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Firefighters raced in trucks to fight flare-ups and planes dropping water and retardants rotated in the smoke-filled air. Farmers delivered water in tanks to fire crews so they could fight the flames without interruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis allows firefighters to focus on the fire,\u201d said Theo Hernandez, a wine grower. \u201cIt\u2019s very strong, very virulent, it\u2019s spreading everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The number of firefighters mobilized grew to 2,500, backed by 18 planes and helicopters, including from other European nations. Soldiers have also been called in. A giant A400M military cargo aircraft dropped plumes of ochre-colored retardant.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Gironde prefecture said 75 firefighters were treated for injuries. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Blaze has created virulent firestorms<\/h4>\n

In a first for France, the blaze alarmingly developed into a self-feeding firestorm on several occasions, most recently on Saturday night, generating lightning bolts that can start new flare-ups, authorities said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like being confronted by a hurricane,\u201d said Gironde fire chief Marc Vermeulen.<\/p>\n

Forecast high temperatures starting Tuesday could complicate the firefighting, Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said.<\/p>\n

Evacuees won\u2019t be allowed back to their towns and villages until the blaze is brought under control, she warned. She urged holiday makers not to come to the region that has popular Atlantic beaches and some of France\u2019s largest woodlands.<\/p>\n

Read more The midterms may come down to just 20 House races, including \u2018the swingiest swing state\u2019: Pennsylvania<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Fire creeps toward Bordeaux but the city isn\u2019t evacuating<\/h4>\n

Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave described the blaze as being \u201cat the gates of the metropolitan area,\u201d about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away at its closest point.<\/p>\n

But Cazenave said an evacuation of Bordeaux is not on the cards for now. The city is home to 268,000 people.<\/p>\n

Bordeaux turned an exhibition center into an emergency shelter, providing cots and food for thousands of evacuees, including hundreds of older people evacuated from care homes.<\/p>\n

A second fire burning farther south in the Landes region has also forced the evacuation of 36,000 people, driving the total number of displaced people in southwest France to more than 250,000.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Fire crews have also been battling a blaze in the Var region of southern France on the Mediterranean. Nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated there.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of people also forced out of their homes in Spain<\/h4>\n

In Spain, wildfires burned out of control around Madrid. Evacuations were also carried out Sunday in the Valencia region. A man was killed Saturday in a wildfire in Manises, a Valencia suburb, marking Spain\u2019s first recorded death in the latest fires.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe still have some difficult hours ahead,\u201d Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said Sunday, but the night was \u201cvery positive in terms of bringing the flames under control.\u201d<\/p>\n

A total of 76,000 people have been evacuated in Spain while 30,000 others have been confined to their homes, the government said.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Evacuees fretted about what they\u2019ll find when they\u2019re allowed to return.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looked like the apocalypse. You couldn\u2019t see anything. Everything was covered in ash,\u201d said Roc\u00edo Dom\u00ednguez, who evacuated with her dog, Simba, from Chapiner\u00eda, west of Madrid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know when we get to the town, if we\u2019ll have half the house burned down or we\u2019ll have it intact or we won\u2019t have a house,\u201d she said. \u201cAll the clothes, all the memories, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press journalists Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris; Teresa Medrano in Madrid; Alicia Le\u00f3n in Villaviciosa de Od\u00f3n, Spain, and Maria Murru in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Read more After Trump launched war on Iran, hiked inflation through tariffs, Johnson labels election \u2018common sense vs. communism\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Near Bordeaux, a wildfire grew so intense it spawned self-feeding firestorms, forcing 220,000 people from their homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-change"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Near Bordeaux, a wildfire grew so intense it spawned self-feeding firestorms, forcing 220,000 people from their homes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cross Country Moving Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330\"},\"wordCount\":859,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"climate change\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330\",\"name\":\"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?p=4330#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cross Country Moving Team\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team","og_description":"Near Bordeaux, a wildfire grew so intense it spawned self-feeding firestorms, forcing 220,000 people from their homes.","og_url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330","og_site_name":"Cross Country Moving Team","article_published_time":"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa"},"headline":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning","datePublished":"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330"},"wordCount":859,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp","articleSection":["climate change"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330","name":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning - Cross Country Moving Team","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp","datePublished":"2026-07-27T15:43:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27d705e07966a5cfb9febfa340e222c0.webp","width":1200,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4330#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018It looked like the apocalypse\u2019: France\u2019s summer of deadly heat turns into a wildfire that is making its own lightning"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/","name":"Cross Country Moving Team","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1b8121bfb9a1c55d1fff3fca675fceaa","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com"],"url":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}