French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced the mobilization of military personnel and internal security forces on July 24, 2026, to combat wildfires in Gironde.
The scale of the deployment signals the severity of the crisis, as the fires have threatened populated areas and forced the evacuation of villages on the Cap Ferret peninsula.
Approximately 1,000 military personnel have been deployed to the region [1]. These forces are supporting civil protection units in an effort to contain the blaze, which had already burned 4,800 hectares as of July 24 [2]. The decision to bring in the military follows a request from President Emmanuel Macron, who said, "I ask the armies to come as maximum reinforcement to civil security" [3].
Nunez said the situation was an "absolute, imperative necessity" to utilize military requisitions and internal security forces [4]. The minister said the fires were unprecedented in their nature and impact on the region.
Law enforcement has also begun investigating the cause of the blazes. Nunez said six people have been arrested who may have had an action on the start of the fires [5].
The Gironde department in southwestern France continues to face high risks as firefighters and soldiers work to protect residential zones. The prefecture has ordered the evacuation of the first villages on the Cap Ferret peninsula to ensure public safety as the fire perimeter shifts [1].
“It is an absolute, imperative necessity to call on military requisitions and internal security forces.”
The mobilization of the French military for domestic firefighting indicates that civilian resources were insufficient to handle the scale of the Gironde blazes. By deploying 1,000 soldiers and initiating arrests for suspected arson, the French government is treating the wildfires not only as a natural disaster but as a critical security operation requiring state-level intervention to prevent further loss of life and property.
