Civilians Battle Wildfire Threatening Bordeaux

We’re in southwest France, where these men are doing everything in their power to stop a fire that’s been burning for more than a week. But none of them are firefighters. They’re local residents and volunteers trying to save their community. Fifteen miles outside Bordeaux, first responders and volunteers are the only thing standing between the fire’s edge and a major city of more than a quarter million people. The wildfire threatening Bordeaux has burned just over 100,000 acres, sparking what officials say is France’s largest civilian evacuation since World War II. The fire is too big and too spread out for professional firefighters to be everywhere, so they’ve started coordinating with volunteers directly. Each tank holds 1,000 liters. A firetruck holds four times that, which means constant runs to the nearest hydrant a mile away to stay full. Not every volunteer out here is an amateur. Mickael Bardary is a professional firefighter by day. In his spare time, he’s out here flying a drone, spotting fires in forests too thick to see through the ground. Crews are also relying on the mobility of volunteers like Sebastien Perez, whose S.U.V. can reach places larger fire trucks can’t go. The fire spread has stabilized, but it’s far from out. Officials say it could burn for months, meaning the work these men are doing now might just be getting started.