PARIS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Over 220,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde department in southwestern France as devastating wildfires continue to spread, local prefecture authorities announced Sunday.

Firefighters from Marseille hold a hose amid smoke in Ares on July 26, 2026, as a wildfire has been ravaging the forest north of the Arcachon Basin (Gironde) since July 22. (Photo: AFP)

Late Saturday, Gironde authorities ordered the evacuation of an additional 55,000 residents on the outskirts of Bordeaux. The fires in Gironde have burned at least 42,000 hectares of land so far.

The raging fires have also caused severe transport disruptions. French national railway operator SNCF announced Sunday that rail traffic south of Bordeaux has been suspended until further notice, with services cut toward Arcachon and Morcenx at the request of the prefecture.

About 98,000 hectares of land have been burned by wildfires across France so far in 2026, setting a historical record for the country, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday.

France had requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism as wildfires continued to spread across the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.