Firefighters in southwestern France continued efforts on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire that has scorched approximately 42,000 hectares—an area more than four times the size of Paris—amid a new heatwave and forecasts of strong winds. The blaze, centered in the Gironde region near the Atlantic coast and the city of Bordeaux, posed renewed challenges as temperatures climbed to around 41 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), humidity dropped, and wind gusts reached up to 45 kilometres per hour.

Authorities warned that these conditions could cause the fire to spread further and reignite smouldering hotspots within the already affected zone. Overnight and into Wednesday morning, crews battled flare-ups in multiple locations, including near the Souge military installation close to Bordeaux. At one point, the flames came within a few hundred metres of this military training ground, which had been fortified with firebreaks as a precaution. An estimated 2,200 firefighters remain deployed across the region to manage the complex containment operations.

The wildfire’s origin is believed to be linked to routine brush-clearing near a high-voltage power line, according to investigators. The vast scale of the blaze and the extreme environmental conditions have led to widespread evacuations; at the peak of emergency efforts, up to 300,000 people were displaced from their homes and vacation areas across France and Spain.

This situation in southwestern France reflects a broader pattern of severe wildfire threats across southern Europe, where heat, drought, and wind have exacerbated fire risks. In Greece, the situation turned deadly as three firefighters lost their lives battling blazes on the island of Crete, underscoring the widespread nature of the crisis.

The calm night preceding Wednesday appeared to halt the fire’s spread temporarily, but the combination of rising temperatures and gusty winds raised concerns about a new surge. Meteorological forecasts predict thunderstorms beginning Thursday, which may influence fire behavior but also present their own risks to firefighting efforts.

French authorities remain vigilant as they continue their coordination among military, local, and emergency services to prevent further expansion of the fire and protect critical infrastructure and communities in the affected areas.