Bordeaux threatened by wildfires

Has it been reported in the USA that wildfires have been raging for about a week in the pine forests between Bordeaux and the Atlantic coast, which is little more than 50km away (c.30 miles) at the closest point? The latest news is that there are tongues of fire as close as 10km to the city limits, the highway and railway between the city and the Spanish frontier are cut and around 300,000 people have been evacuated from their dwellings. The next few days are unlikely to bring relief as more temperatures in the mid to high 30s (around 100F) are forecast along with strong winds from varying directions.

The nearest vineyards to the flames are those at Pessac-Léognan (notably Haut-Brion) where there is a very high risk of smoke taint, if not worse. Vineyards unaffected by smoke are likely to be increasingly affected by heat stress as the fourth heat wave of the season gets under way.

Such episodes are likely to become more common in the future unless a global effort is made to limit climate change.

[David M. Bueker]

Yes, it has been widely reported. It’s very sad.

Sadly (tragically) current U.S. leadership not only dismisses climate change but is also working to hasten it with their misguided, evil policies.

[Jenise]

Yes it has. In fact I was just looking at photos from the Gironde. It's terrifying. We're dealing with a lot here in Washington state too, and Oregon's even worse off, but wow. I'm not a praying person, but along with the rest of the world I'm very very concerned.

Terrible news. The smoke taint problem is a real issue. A few years back Chateau Montelena in Napa cancelled their estate cabernet sauvignon because of smoke taint from nearby wildfires.

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

Apparently the flames are even threatening the city of Bordeaux itself.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/26/worl ... =url-share


And something called a FIRE CLOUD!?

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/worl ... =url-share

[Jenise]

We've been staring at fire clouds over here for the last two weeks. They go from nothing to two miles high in minutes. Really frightening to witness.

[David M. Bueker]

Terrible news. The smoke taint problem is a real issue. A few years back Chateau Montelena in Napa cancelled their estate cabernet sauvignon because of smoke taint from nearby wildfires.

-Paul W.

And Ridge should have.

Apparently the flames are even threatening the city of Bordeaux itself.

I should be getting a first hand account of conditions in Bordeaux itself. My daughter booked a week's holiday in Bordeaux some time ago starting this Wednesday and travelling there by train. She seems to have decided to go ahead with it having heard that the main problem is smoke in the city, but only in certain wind directions. She plans excursions outside the city to places like Saint-Emilion, Bergerac and Périgueux but may not entirely escape the smoke, even in those places. Arcachon is impossible because the roads and rail are closed.

One of her online pupils lives in Pessac and reports having suitcases packed so as to be able to evacuate her family at a moment's notice. Even though it is probable that the flames will be stopped short of such an important Bordeaux suburb, this illustrates the state of apprehension in which several hundred thousands must be living in the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

Really scary pictures.
I read that Cap Ferret (and maybe Arcachon too) people decided not to wait for government and used bulldozers and tractor to make a fire barrier.
I hope there is no smoke taint, but that pales compared to the danger to homes and lives.

[Jenise]

Even though it is probable that the flames will be stopped short of such an important Bordeaux suburb, this illustrates the state of apprehension in which several hundred thousands must be living in the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

You have only to look at what happened in Malibu/Pacific Palisades in 2025 to understand that when a fire gets that big and that bad, all the water and wealth in the world might not be able to stop it.

[Jenise]

Not Bordeaux but just read that bubble producer Famille Mousse burned down overnight.

[David M. Bueker]

Yes. Precise cause not yet known, but a short in the solar panel system is suspected.

We lost a lot of promising wines here in B.C. in 2021. When grapes are exposed to volatile phenols from nearby fires, the taint tends to stay with the wines (if released) for a long time, affecting perceived fruit levels and sometimes even adding an easily detectable off nose. Some wineries go ahead and release wines and some don't - the problem is that the taint isn't always easily detectable at bottling and wines released early may develop detectable taint a few years later.