Smoke from Gironde forest fires seen in Dordogne valleySMOKE from the Gironde fires near Arcachon has spread across the Dordogne and other départements this morning, 19 July 2022.
The Dordogne préfecture has issued a press release saying that the smell of smoke is hanging in the air in many areas of the département, and I’ve been contacted by people in the Charente who have also woken this morning to the smoke.
The authorities say that there is no risk to health, but advise people to wear a mask if necessary and to keep windows closed if they have respiratory issues caused by the smoke.
They are also asking people not to call the emergency services, as they can cause telephone lines to be engaged and so block real emergency calls from getting through.
Smoke cloud across Dordogne and south west
Weather service La Chaîne Météo has also produced a map of France showing a forecast of the air quality across the country, with the plume of smoke coming from the Gironde clearly visible as it spreads over neighbouring départements.
L’air qui était étouffant à l’ouest en raison de la #canicule, est devenu plus respirable avec la baisse des T°C, mais il est chargé en particules fines (PM10), dont on distingue très nettement la zone de diffusion en Gironde où se produisent les #incendies. pic.twitter.com/7mEhOAHyKp
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) July 19, 2022
Again to give you an idea of the area covered by the smoke from the forest fires, the distance between Bordeaux and Toulouse is around 250 km.
Storms and rain are forecast for this corner of south west France this evening, whether it will be enough to help in the fight against the fires in the Gironde will remain to be seen.
Last Updated on 3 July, 2023.
