Around 12,000 people have been relocated from southwestern France while officials prepare to shift another 8,800 as fires continue to spread through the Gironde area.

Fire crews report that roughly 3,100 hectares of land, equal to 7,660 acres, have already been lost near the Bay of Arcachon.

Many who left the zone overnight were guests at campsites on the Lege-Cap-Ferret peninsula, and the newest relocations also targeted campsites as a safety step.

Fires have flared up in Spain and Italy over the past few days. Locals were moved near Toledo south of Madrid, and one firefighter passed away after becoming unwell while fighting a blaze in Sicily.

Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas noted that 10,000 visitors were part of the group taken from campsites overnight, and the current moves in the village of Claouey on Arcachon Bay are proceeding smoothly.

Brocas added that no injuries have been recorded so far. Certain sites and roads in vulnerable forest zones are now shut.

The effort continued without pause through the night, said Gironde fire service chief Marc Vermeulen, who cautioned that heat is climbing and winds are strengthening. The peak is expected at 20:00, after which highly changeable winds will make the fire hard to forecast, so vigilance must remain high.

Two local firefighters lost their lives earlier this week while battling another blaze near Bordeaux airport.

BBC South presenter Jo Kent is on holiday with her family in France at the Lesley Pastourelles campsite in Claouey beside Lege.

She reported that several anxious guests at the site had already departed.

The main road heading south on the peninsula, usually packed with traffic, now stands empty, and the local supermarket feels unusually still, Kent said.

In the Var region of southeastern France, residents who had been moved were allowed to return Thursday morning to check their properties, though they were urged to restrict travel because of the chance the fire could restart as winds rise later in the day.

Several French departments have suffered heavy damage from wildfires amid a run of rare and extended heatwaves across Europe this summer.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez honored the two firefighters who died Tuesday near Bordeaux airport and offered his deep thanks and steady support to their families.

In Italy, officials honored a firefighter who died tackling a wildfire in San Cataldo, while Sicily regional leader Renato Schifani wished a quick recovery to another firefighter hurt in the same effort.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi paid tribute to the late firefighter Alessandro Marchi, noting he died while serving the community.

In a Wednesday update, head of Sicilian Civil Protection Salvo Cocina said more than 350 fires had struck the island, including 10 large ones that prompted precautionary evacuations.

He stated the fires were started by people and that firefighting has turned into a social and public order issue.

In Spain, residents have started returning home after fires broke out in the village of Almorox near Toledo south of Madrid. Officials said the fires are not yet contained and that about 890 hectares have burned, though work so far has kept the fire perimeter from growing.

Temperatures of at least 42C have been logged in parts of Spain, and the nations largest wildfire of the year so far occurred this week north of the capital in Guadalajara region.

More than 35,000 hectares have burned, creating stark scenes of ruined land, yet officials there say residents can now go back to their homes.

Nations throughout Europe have recorded record heat in recent months.

A report issued in April by the Copernicus Climate Change Service found at least 95 percent of Europe experienced above-average yearly temperatures in 2025 and named Europe the fastest-warming continent.

Wildfire-burnt area and fire emissions both hit record levels last year, the report noted.