A400M military transport plane drops retardant for first time on massive Gironde wildfire, 167,000 evacuated
The Airbus A400M, repurposed to carry 20 tonnes of fire retardant, dropped its first red line near Lacanau on Saturday, joining the battle against a wildfire that has consumed 32,700 hectares and forced 167,000 residents to flee.
A fire described as the most dangerous France has ever seen
The wildfire that erupted on Wednesday 22 July in Gironde had by Saturday midday consumed 32,700 hectares of forest, destroyed 140 houses and forced 167,000 residents to evacuate, according to the prefecture. The blaze, driven by Atlantic winds, has produced tornado-like flames and fire storms, with a propagation speed of up to 5 km/h (five times that of a normal fire). The prefecture said that 54 firefighters had been injured, nine of whom were evacuated under relative emergency. The front extends over more than 20 kilometres, but the prefecture noted that "the drop in temperatures and increase in humidity" were making it "less virulent." Firefighters have described the fire as the most dangerous France has ever known.
The A400M's first operational drop
On Saturday afternoon, the A400M military transport plane made its first-ever firefighting drop near Lacanau, releasing a 600-metre line of red fire retardant onto intact forest ahead of the advancing flames. The aircraft, developed by Airbus and operated by the French Air Force, was equipped with a semi-cylindrical tank installed in its cargo hold without structural modifications. It can carry 20 tonnes of retardant (equivalent to three Canadair water bombers, according to Franceinfo, or two Dash aircraft, per BFMTV).
When the fire reaches this line of retardant, it slows down. Combined with ground forces, we can stop the fire.
The prototype tank had been tested in April 2025 near Nîmes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had requested the aircraft's deployment, and the military staff said everything was done to evaluate and deploy the kit as soon as possible. The A400M supplements a fleet of 12 Canadairs, though one is under repair after an accident earlier in the season.
It's rather good news. We have 12 Canadairs, but one is currently under repair after an accident during a manoeuvre early in the season. They're in high demand on different fire starts, and with mandatory maintenance rotations, we never have all 11 at once.
- Prototype retardant kit tested near Nîmes.
- Wildfire starts in Gironde.
- 32,700 hectares burned; 167,000 people evacuated.
- A400M makes first firefighting drop over Lacanau.
- Ministry announces 1,500 soldiers to deploy.
Ground tactics and hope from the weather
Firefighters have used a combination of retardant lines, road barriers, and firebreaks (large deforested trenches) to try to contain the fire. The same firebreak technique proved successful during the 2022 fires in the region. But with a front stretching over 20 kilometres, prioritisation is essential.
With a fire like this one, we unfortunately have to work on the most urgent areas, the sensitive points, positioning engines to break the fire's advance and try, little by little, to steer the fire into a zone where it can die.
A drop in temperatures, announced for the coming hours, offers a first glimmer of hope after days of intense heat over highly flammable peat soil.
Military reinforcements on the ground
The military support is not limited to the air. On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Armed Forces announced the deployment of 1,500 soldiers to assist the 1,400 firefighters and 18 aerial assets already in action. The ground deployment brings the total force to over 2,900 personnel. The A400M, initially scheduled to begin operations at the very end of the month, was rushed into service as the fire continued to rage.
