Fire crews worked to contain a massive wildfire in southwestern France on Wednesday (July 29) amid a new heatwave that is forecast to send temperatures soaring and a spike in wind speeds.

Temperatures in the region were expected to rise from around 33 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (July 28) to peak at 42 degrees Celsius, according to Meteo France, while dry winds in the afternoon could stoke flames.

French firefighters kept a major blaze west of Bordeaux stable overnight, while tramway services resumed operations and hotels reopened near Bordeaux's airport, which remains open.

But officials warned the wildfires were far from over. The municipality of Lege-Cap-Ferret flagged several flare-ups in the area, adding that firefighters had managed to stabilise them.

The impact on the forests has been widespread. The wildfire in the Landes area west of Bordeaux, a popular tourist destination, has devastated 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres) of mainly pine trees.

Authorities have evacuated about 220,000 people, including holidaymakers and local residents, as the fire threatened the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, only accessible by one road.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Fire brigade battles France wildfires as heatwave strikes

VIDEO SHOWS: BURNT FOREST AND SMALL FLAMES AT SOUTHWEST FRANCE WILDFIRES / FIREFIGHTERS TRYING TO EXTINGUISH FIRES

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: LACANAU, FRANCE (JULY 29, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VIEW FROM CAR OF BURNT FOREST AFTER WILDFIRE

2. VARIOUS OF SMALL FIRE BURNING

3. FIRE BURNING, FIREFIGHTER WORKING IN BACKGROUND

4. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS CARRYING BUCKETS OF WATER

5. FIREFIGHTER POURING WATER ONTO FLAMES

6. FIREFIGHTER RAKING RUSHES

7. VARIOUS OF WATER BEING SPRAYED FROM TRACTOR, FIREFIGHTERS STANDING BY

8. WATER BEING SPRAYED ONTO BURNT FOREST FLOOR

9. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS AT WORK

10. VARIOUS OF BURNT RUSHES

11. BURNT TOY FOR DOG

12. FIRE TRUCK

13. FIRE TRUCK AND FIREFIGHTERS IN BURNT FOREST

14. FIREFIGHTERS WALKING

15. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS LOOKING AT MAP