French firefighters are battling to keep the wildfires burning through the Gironde region from threatening Bordeaux, the country’s sixth largest city.
Several nearby towns have been evacuated but the city itself is currently not threatened by the fires, its mayor Thomas Cazenave told BFMTV, though one resident described staying inside with the windows shut to keep the smoke out, and the sky turning yellow.
About 1 million people live within the city’s metropolitan area, according to census data, and about 270,000 of those live within the city itself, according to World Population Review.
Important settlements have existed here since the Roman times, when it was described by the writer Ausonius as one of Gaul’s great educational centers.
That rich history, cultivated over centuries of acting as a port and hub of cultural exchange, is visible throughout the city, much of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The region is particularly famous for the wine it produces, a tradition which also dates back to the Roman era. The varieties of wine produced in the area, which include Margaux, Sauternes and Médoc, are known as some of the best and most popular in the world.
For now, the 2026 vintage of these wines is safe, one local expert told CNN. Vineyards haven’t been impacted by the fires at the moment, and the grapes are not yet large enough to absorb wildfire smoke – a phenomenon known in winemaking as “smoke taint,” said Nicolle Croft, a wine expert and tour guide based in Bordeaux.
CNN’s Max Saltman contributed reporting.