Search Everything in One Place

Explore the web, images, videos, news, and more – all in one place.

News

Two firefighters killed as blaze near French airport grounds flights

France Fire Deaths
France Fire Deaths

Two firefighters killed as blaze near French airport grounds flights - France has recorded hundreds of fires as a prolonged heatwave ravages the country

Flights at a busy south-west French airport have been hit by delays due to a blaze nearby which killed two firefighters.

The firefighters had been battling a building fire in Mérignac, a suburb of Bordeaux where the city’s airport is located.

Their deaths, on Tuesday, were announced by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez in the National Assembly.

Mr Nunez said during a question-and-answer session that he was awaiting more details.

He added that he would travel to the area “as soon as possible” to oversee the firefighting efforts.

The airport said in a statement on its website that a nearby fire was causing delays to some flights.

French media reported that the fire had sparked near one of the airport’s parking lots.

It started as a brush fire, then spread to a building, the reports said.

Images shared on social media showed passengers disembarking a plane, while smoke billowed nearby.

Numerous areas of France have been hit by fires in the past weeks, as a prolonged heatwave ravages the country.

There have been nearly 11,000 fires since the beginning of 2026.

A huge plume of smoke rises near the Bordeaux Airport (Reuters)
A huge plume of smoke rises near the Bordeaux Airport (Reuters)

A large blaze also broke out on Tuesday in the Pontevès commune, in Var in the country’s south-east.

The PSFDF volunteer association said that 150 people had been evacuated, and 600 firefighters and other emergency personnel had been deployed.

The fire was “currently out of control and is evolving rapidly”, the association, which monitors fires across the country, said.

Last week, President Emmanuel Macron said that there had not been so many fires in the country since the Second World War.

A French firefighter extinguishes a flare-up in the Fontainebleau Forest, one of multiple fires throughout France (AFP/Getty)
A French firefighter extinguishes a flare-up in the Fontainebleau Forest, one of multiple fires throughout France (AFP/Getty)

On Sunday, a wildfire swept through ​towns on France's Mediterranean coast near Frejus, threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of several hamlets as ⁠strong winds and drought conditions fuelled its rapid spread.

"The fire spread extremely quickly in the context of this heatwave and extreme ⁠drought," local prefect Simon ​Babre ⁠told BFM TV.

The blaze had scorched about 180 hectares (445 acres) by Sunday evening, ⁠the prefect's office said.

Elsewhere in Europe, Spain's weather agency AEMET warned that temperatures would start rising again, with highs potentially reaching 42-44 C in parts ⁠of the Andalusia and La Mancha regions this week.

Forecasters also warned of an extreme wildfire risk as hot, dry air from North Africa advances across much of the country.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

Read full story on The Independent

Related News

More stories you might be interested in.

US health secretary Kennedy says CMS is pausing Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota
Reuters·18 hours ago

US health secretary Kennedy says CMS is pausing Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota

July 21 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota "because of suspected fraud and noncompliance," U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said on Tuesday. "If those states want that money they need to provide documentations that these payments are legitimate," Kennedy said at a news conference. (Reporting by Puyaan Singh

Top