Ukrainian rescuers join fight against massive Bordeaux wildfire

A joint Ukrainian rescue team arrived in France's Gironde department on August 2 to assist in battling a massive wildfire. The Ukrainian emergency responders met with authorities from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 33) and the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). SDIS 33 deputy chief of operations Aurélien Petit revealed that the fire had scorched about 42,000 hectares, with a perimeter stretching 240 kilometers.

French officials noted that Ukrainian specialists would tackle the most challenging areas due to their unique and highly valued practical experience. Ukraine currently comprises the largest international team among all participating nations. After the meeting, the Ukrainian rescuers proceeded to the disaster area, conducting a reconnaissance of the terrain, assessing the operational situation, and determining sectors for firefighting and containment operations.

On July 31, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced that a team of 70 rescuers and 15 specialized wildfire-fighting vehicles had been dispatched to France on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's instruction and under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Severe heat waves, drought, and strong winds have ignited over 1,400 fires across southern Europe, with France and Spain bearing the brunt of the crisis.

Over 300,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate due to the fires approaching major cities. In the Bordeaux area, a wildfire has burned 91,000 hectares of forest, setting a record for the country in a single year, despite the fact that summer is far from over. The fire's intensity even triggered a rare localized thunderstorm.

The situation in Gironde has since stabilized partially, with more than 80,000 evacuated residents returning home.