In brief
Two French firefighters were killed while combating a wildfire perched beside Bordeaux‑Mérignac airport. The fire ignited near a parking lot and rapidly spread to nearby structures, prompting an emergency response from about 100 firefighters and aircraft. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he would visit Gironde to oversee the situation. The blaze adds to France’s surge of record‑setting wildfires driven by prolonged heatwaves.
Two French firefighters have lost their lives fighting a massive blaze near Bordeaux‑Mérignac airport.
The fire started in a parking lot and spread to a nearby building, prompting a response that included around 100 firefighters and aviation support.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said he was briefed on the deaths and will travel to Gironde "as soon as possible" to supervise the firefighting effort.
The incident is part of a string of record‑breaking wildfires across France, driven by extended heatwaves that have pushed the country to a new high of nearly 11,000 fires this year.
The blaze also disrupted flight schedules at the airport, with several arrivals delayed as authorities assessed the risk to nearby infrastructure.
Eyewitness videos on social media show passengers disembarking while a thick plume of smoke rises from the site.
Additional large blazes have erupted across France, including a rapidly spreading fire in Var's Pontevès commune that now covers 600 firefighting crews and has seen over 150 evacuations.
These events reinforce the impact of Europe’s accelerated warming—twice the global average—fueling more intense heatwaves and wildfires, along with stress on water supplies.
