Contents:
- Campsites evacuated due to wildfires
- Evacuations due to rising water levels, storms and the risk of flooding
- Solidarity in the face of the fires
The summer of 2026 was particularly marked by forest fires, against a backdrop of severe drought and repeated heatwaves, four years on from 2022 – a year already characterised by record-breaking fires, notably those in the Teste-de-Buch forest and the Dune du Pilat. Whilst a few campsites were directly affected by the flames, the vast majority of evacuations were carried out as a precautionary measure, due to the proximity of a fire, heavy smoke or the potential spread of the blaze. In most cases, holidaymakers were able to return to their campsites within 24 hours once the danger had passed.
Campsites evacuated due to the fires
From the very first days of July, holidaymakers were faced with several fires near their holiday destinations. In some regions, evacuations occurred repeatedly throughout the summer, with particularly striking incidents in the South, in Gironde and in the Landes.
In the South, the summer got off to a dramatic start
On 1 July, a fire broke out in Fréjus, in the Var, leading to the precautionary evacuation of six campsites. Around 2,200 holidaymakers had to leave their accommodation, before being able to return once the danger had passed.
The following day, 2 July, it was the turn of the Canet-en-Roussillon and Sainte-Marie-la-Mer areas, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, to face a major wildfire fanned by the tramontane wind. Three campsites were evacuated and around 2,000 people were brought to safety. Among them, the beautiful Le Brasilia***** campsite was directly hit by the flames. The fire destroyed 84 holiday rentals and rendered 150 pitches unusable. The reception building and the staff bungalow were also destroyed. However, the campsite was able to reopen on 25 July. As for the other campsites affected by this fire, it is also worth noting that 26 bungalows were burnt down at the Le Sainte-Marie**** campsite and 80 at the La Marina de Canet**** campsite.
The massive wildfires in Gironde lead to the evacuation of dozens of campsites
On 22 July, a fire broke out in Saumos, in the Gironde, following a spark caused during brush-clearing work. Rapidly fanned by the weather conditions, the fire spread towards Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret, before threatening several areas popular with holidaymakers.
Evacuations from campsites began in the early hours. At the municipal campsite La Grigne*** in Le Porge, 3,500 people were evacuated on 22 July and redirected to Lacanau.
Then, on 23 July, evacuations began at the campsites: La Jenny****, Sandaya Le Truc Vert****, La Prairie**, La Pinède**, Aux Couleurs du Ferret***, Le Grand Crohot and Brémontier* were among the first to be affected. In Lacanau, all the campsites in the municipality were subsequently evacuated between 28 and 31 July as a precautionary measure.
In total, 39 campsites and nature sites were evacuated in Gironde during this incident. However, the total number of campers affected is not known. Most of the sites were able to reopen once the fire had passed, but four campsites did not resume operations for the season.
The fire also caused damage to some sites. In Lège-Cap-Ferret, the ‘Aux Couleurs du Ferret’ campsite was partially destroyed: 22 of its 62 holiday rentals were destroyed by the flames, whilst the wooded area at the back of the campsite was spared. Conversely, other campsites were evacuated even though they were ultimately not reached by the fire.
After 14 days, the total area burnt during this episode stood at around 42,000 hectares, with numerous precautionary evacuations carried out in the affected municipalities.
In the Landes region, forest fires in turn led to evacuations
On 23 July, a fire broke out in the Landes after a broken-down van caught fire on the D652, between Biscarrosse and Parentis-en-Born. The fire spread rapidly through a heavily wooded and popular tourist area, forcing several campsites to evacuate their holidaymakers.
The first sites to be affected were Calède**, Les Cottages, Le Pison and Le Pipiou****, from which around 3,000 campers were evacuated from these sites alone. Subsequently, other campsites had to be evacuated, notably Homair Mayotte Vacances*****, Yelloh! Village Au Lac de Biscarrosse****, Resort La Rive***** and Les Écureuil*.
In total, around twenty campsites located around Parentis-en-Born, Biscarrosse and Sanguinet were affected by the evacuations. However, the total number of campers evacuated is not known. Unlike some sites affected by the flames elsewhere in France, no campsites were destroyed in this incident and all were able to reopen gradually.
The final toll of this fire was 3,600 hectares burnt and 200 buildings destroyed.
Evacuations in several regions of France
The fires did not only affect the Mediterranean coast and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Over the summer, other forest and bush fires led to the evacuation of campsites in several departments.
In the Drôme, the fire in the Massif du Justin, near Die, led to the evacuation of the Pinède campsite between 9 and 11 July. Around 350 campers had to leave the site.
In the Côtes-d’Armor, a fire spread to Cap Fréhel on 12 July. The municipal campsite at Plévenon was evacuated that evening: around 120 holidaymakers – or 127 according to the figures released by the authorities – were taken to safety. They were able to return to the campsite the following day.
In Seine-et-Marne, the fires affecting the Fontainebleau forest also led to the evacuation of a campsite in Milly-la-Forêt.
In the Vosges, a campsite near Lake Bouzey was evacuated on 6 and 7 July as a forest fire raged nearby. On 19 August, in Senones, a fire also led to the evacuation of several people from the municipal campsite.
In Loire-Atlantique, a bush fire swept across 83 hectares in La Plaine-sur-Mer on 10 July. Around 220 people were evacuated from the La Renaudière**** campsite, which was partially affected by the flames, with several accommodation units damaged or destroyed. Later in the summer, on 13 August, a field fire at a place called Le Clos-Joly, in Guérande, led to the evacuation of around 2,000 holidaymakers from the Leveno**** campsite, who were temporarily accommodated in a sports hall.
In Haute-Corse, the Restonica fire on 26 July led to the evacuation of the Tuani** campsite in Corte due to a thick plume of smoke. 127 people were staying there and had to leave the premises temporarily. On 17 August, the U Paradisu** campsite, situated at the end of the Saleccia track, was evacuated as a precaution, as the Saleccia track was closed due to the risk of a very severe fire in the area.
Finally, in Pas-de-Calais, on 12 August, several fires were reported in the dunes between Neufchâtel-Hardelot and Dannes. The Cristal d’Opale** campsite in Camiers asked its holidaymakers to evacuate: around 1,200 people were taken to safety. They were able to return to the campsite that evening.
These incidents show that, even when the flames do not directly reach the campsites, smoke, the proximity of the fire front or changing wind conditions can be enough to trigger a precautionary evacuation.
Campsites evacuated due to rising water levels, thunderstorms and the risk of flooding
Wildfires were not the only events to lead to the evacuation of holidaymakers this summer. From mid-August onwards, several campsites also had to be evacuated due to heavy rain, torrential flooding or violent thunderstorms.
On 21 August, in Pégomas in the Alpes-Maritimes, heavy rain and the risk of flooding led to the precautionary evacuation of the Les Mimosas campsite. Located in a ‘red zone’ under the ‘flood risk prevention plan, the site was hosting around 200 people at the time, who were taken to safety in local council halls.
Also on 21 August, in Haute-Corse, the forecast of violent thunderstorms led to the precautionary evacuation of 1,360 people staying at campsites across the department.
On 28 August, severe weather struck the Hautes-Alpes, causing torrential flooding, mudslides and rivers to burst their banks. In Vallouise-Pelvoux, rising water levels in the Gyr and Onde rivers led to the evacuation of two campsites: 400 holidaymakers were moved from the Ailefroide campsite and 221 from Huttopia Vallouise***. In the neighbouring commune of Les Vigneaux, 219 holidaymakers also left the Le Courounba*** campsite. In total, 840 people were brought to safety from these three sites, according to data provided by the emergency services and local authorities.
Solidarity in the face of the fires
Whilst the summer of 2026 was marked by numerous wildfires and campsite evacuations, these incidents also highlighted a remarkable outpouring of support on the campground. Local residents, shopkeepers, local authorities and other campsites organised themselves to welcome holidaymakers forced to temporarily leave their accommodation, offering them a place to stay or simply providing assistance.
This solidarity serves as a reminder that, behind the figures and the striking images of the fires, there are also people stepping up to support those who have to leave their campsites in a hurry. And despite the scale of some of the fires, campsite evacuations generally took place without any holidaymakers coming to harm.
Whilst, in most cases, evacuations are temporary, some fires can unfortunately have far more serious consequences: campsites damaged or destroyed, holidays cut short, or even the loss of personal belongings left behind. Find out about the conditions for compensation and reimbursement when a campsite is unable to reopen.
Finally, we cannot conclude this review without paying tribute to the work of the fire brigades, who were heavily mobilised throughout the summer to fight fires, protect the public and, where conditions allowed, enable holidaymakers to return to the evacuated campsites. A huge thank you to them for their dedication and courage.