More than a quarter-million people have been driven from their homes in southwest France as a massive wildfire barrels toward the famed wine capital of Bordeaux, with officials warning the fast-moving inferno has become so fierce it’s creating its own winds and behaving erratically.French authorities ordered another 55,000 people to evacuate overnight Sunday from communities south of Bordeaux, bringing the total number of evacuees in the region to about 250,000.Gusty winds, dry conditions and repeated heat waves have fueled a fire that has burned out of control since midweek.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said firefighters faced a "difficult" night and warned Sunday that "the situation remains very unfavorable."EUROPE'S FIRES REVEAL DEADLY MIX OF RECORD HEAT, HUMAN ERROR, ARSON AND LAND MISMANAGEMENTFirefighters spray water in a burning forest near Lacanau, southwestern France, Saturday, July 25, 2026.
(AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)"The fire again became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area," Nunez posted on X, adding that the blaze "became calmer by the end of the night."The fire has now burned an estimated 42,000 hectares, or about 162 square miles — roughly four times the size of Paris — in the Gironde region.Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the flames came within about 9 miles of the city, prompting officials to partially close a major highway into and out of the region.More than 2,500 firefighters, backed by 18 planes and helicopters, are working to slow the fire's advance.
France has also deployed 1,500 soldiers to help clear vegetation and build firebreaks, while several European countries have sent aircraft and firefighting crews to assist.FRANCE RECORDS MORE THAN 5,700 EXCESS DEATHS DURING HISTORIC EARLY SUMMER HEAT WAVENunez said 450 volunteers have also pitched in to help."We came to lend a hand because if it were our region, we'd want others to do the...