Some 40,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France due to a fire that has ravaged more than 25,000 acres, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told AFP, calling the blaze "the largest fire of the season." "As I speak, gradually, 40,000 people have either been evacuated or are currently being evacuated," he said, stressing that there have been no reported casualties so far. Holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret carry their belongings along the pier upon their arrival in Arcachon during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula, in southwestern France, July 24, 2026, due to a wildfire spreading across the area. France registered its hottest-ever days on June 24 and June 25, with a national average of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. A firefighter sprays water on a forest fire close to a residential area near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwest France, July 23, 2026.