Raging French wildfire closes in on missile and rocket factories as 4,000 are evacuated from beach resort

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:28, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 16:30, 28 July 2026 Around 4,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from a popular French beach resort as a massive wildfire continues to rage towards missile and rocket factories in the country's southwest. Officials ordered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks to be cleared in the surfing hotspot of Lacanau, around 35 miles west of Bordeaux, as firefighters battled what has become France's largest wildfire since 1949.   The latest evacuation comes as France and Spain battle the worst wildfires in living memory, with more than 360,000 people forced from their homes across the two countries and almost 100,000 hectares of land destroyed.  France evacuated 4,000 more people on Tuesday as it braced for worsening conditions, while Spain's prime minister said there was 'light at the end of the tunnel' in his country's own fight.  Firefighters in France and Spain were battling to contain the blazes before the arrival of a fourth heatwave of the summer brings scorching temperatures. Flames have torn through vast swathes of forest in both countries, incinerating properties and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. In a sign of progress, Spain's interior ministry said it would end evacuation orders for 13 municipalities on Tuesday afternoon, without providing details of how many people were covered. But in France, Marielle Mourgeon was among 4,000 people forced to cut holidays short in the seaside village of Lacanau, near Bordeaux, after authorities ordered campsites to evacuate as a precaution. Firefighters work as flames and smoke rise during a wildfire, amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France A firefighter amid smoke rising from hotspots at Le Grand Crohot amid drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France This photograph shows smoke from the wildfire on the west of Bordeux, seen from the Arcachon bay in Gujan-Mestras, southwestern France on July 28 Your browser does not support iframes. 'At first I thought my husband was joking, with the blue sky and the fires dying down,' she said. Conditions are set to worsen as a fresh heatwave hits western Europe this week, with temperatures climbing again in France from Tuesday and Spain from Wednesday, according to meteorologists. French firefighters were 'on the offensive', commander Eric Pitault insisted, standing beside a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula. Over the past six days, the largest French wildfire since 1949 has raged west of Bordeaux, forcing more than 220,000 people to flee and destroying 240 homes. The prefect's office said that, while there were flare-ups overnight, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased. In Spain, the worst of the fires have been west of Madrid. Despite the looming heatwave, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared: 'We are indeed turning the tide, and we can begin to see light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against these fires.' Fernando Casado, mayor of Robledo de Chavela, a village at the northern edge of the blaze, was more cautious. 'It is true that at night it is a sleeping kitten, but during the day it can be a mighty lion. The next few hours are crucial.' Outside Aldea del Fresno, on the eastern edge of the fire, evacuated residents queued in their cars hoping to be allowed back to their homes and pets. They were among 60,000 people forced to flee fires that have consumed 77,000 hectares in Spain, an area almost the size of New York City. Galia Borisova, a 55-year-old domestic helper, wanted to reach her animals in nearby Picadas but was having to wait. An aerial view shows a massive cloud of smoke from wildfires above the Gironde basin near Bordeaux  A forest fire rages in Saint-Jean-d'Illac, some 20 miles from Bordeaux Exha handout photo made available by SDIS 33, the official fire and rescue department for the area of Gironde, of firefighters taking a break in a forest This was the scene in Portugal today as firefighters battled huge flames near the village of Rabaca in Castanheira, Guarda Wildfires left parts of La Vall d'Uixo looking like a wasteland. The town is around 30 miles north-east of Valencia, Spain 'They say there's so much smoke that you can't breathe, even with a mask. And I believe it, because you could see it from here,' she said. Europe has been gripped by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change. Extreme heat has parched vegetation that had grown vigorously during wet weather earlier in the year, creating tinderbox conditions. UN climate chief Simon Stiell said 'the climate alarm is blaring from every direction' and called for a quick end to fossil fuels. While the focus is currently on western Europe, the EU's crisis management chief warned conditions elsewhere on the continent could see new fires. 'Extreme conditions are looming for Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in addition to France, the Iberian Peninsula... where the situation is expected to worsen, including in Portugal starting today,' commissioner Hadja Lahbib said. Spain's meteorological agency AEMET announced a new heatwave starting on Wednesday and lasting until at least the end of the week, with temperatures forecast to hit 42C in the northeast and 39C in the centre. MeteoFrance also forecast more hot weather of up to 40C from Tuesday with dry wind. Near the French surfing hotspot of Le Grand Crohot, an AFP reporter saw violent gusts of wind whipping up flames as firefighting aircraft attempted to extinguish a rekindled fire. Firefighting commander Matthieu Jomain warned that the conditions were similar to those when the fire started. 'It's evidence of the precariousness of the situation,' he said. With a fresh heatwave expected to hit western Europe this week, firefighters are racing against time to bring the infernos under control. French firefighters were 'on the offensive,' insisted commander Eric Pitault, as he stood in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula. Authorities ordered the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people from campsites, tourist residences, holiday villages and leisure parks around Lacanau on France's Atlantic coast. Over the past six days, the wildfire near Bordeaux has affected 103,000 acres, forced 220,000 people to flee and destroyed 240 houses. The prefect's office said that while there had been flare-ups overnight in the north of the peninsula, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased. Outside Spain's Aldea del Fresno, on the edge of the vast fires burning west of Madrid, evacuated locals queued up in their cars in the hope of returning to properties and pets. They were among 60,000 people forced to flee by fires that have consumed 190,000 acres, an area almost the size of New York City.