The Aftermath

Gironde wildfires, 2026

A fraction of the aftermath from the Gironde wildfires in France - 47,000 hectares of forest burnt, 240 homes destroyed and four fire fighters lives lost.

The Landes forest in South West France is the largest man-made forest in Europe, covering 10,000m2. It was established by Napoleon the Third in 1857 to turn what was then a large swamp ridden with mosquitos and malarial deseases, into a productive and liveable region of the country. It is in large part populated by pine trees used for the wood industry, and 90% privately owned.