Macron calls crisis meeting of French cabinet as blaze approaches Bordeaux

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and wire agencies, reported that French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, July 27, 2026, to coordinate the response to major wildfires in southwestern France. The immediate concern is a large blaze in Gironde, the wine-producing department that includes Bordeaux, where firefighters have been working to keep flames from moving closer to the city.

Local authorities described conditions as generally stable, but officials remain on alert because another heatwave is forecast later in the week. The fire has burned near Saint-Jean-d’Illac, about 30km from Bordeaux, and at one point came within 15km of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, which Al Jazeera said is home to roughly 850,000 people. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said Sunday that the fire remained near the edge of the urban area, while the mayor of Cestas described its scale as unprecedented.

The French emergency comes amid a broader wildfire crisis across parts of Europe. Al Jazeera reported that fires in France and Spain have forced more than 300,000 people to leave their homes, with Spain accounting for more than 75,000 evacuations. Some fires near Madrid have slowed, according to the regional government, and authorities there said some evacuees would begin returning home.

The report places the fires in the context of repeated summer heatwaves and record temperatures across Europe. Scientists have warned that extreme heat can dry vegetation and worsen fire risk, making the coming forecast a key factor for emergency planning.