Executive Summary : Since 23 July 2026, wildfires of unprecedented scale have been devastating Gironde and northern Landes. The A63, the main motorway linking France with Spain and Portugal, is partially closed. Rail traffic south of Bordeaux has been suspended until further notice. Supply chain teams must act immediately to secure their shipments.

Gironde Wildfires: Status of Transport Disruptions as of 27 July 2026 

The wildfires affecting Gironde since mid-July 2026 are not only an environmental disaster. They are also causing major logistical disruption for companies whose flows transit through South-West France or are bound for Spain and Portugal.

The fire, which has been spreading across Gironde for several days, has already burned through 42,000 hectares and forced 220,000 people to evacuate. For supply chain directors, transport managers and sales administration teams, the key question is straightforward: are your current or planned shipments to these areas secure? This article reviews the disruptions recorded as of 27 July 2026 and the measures that should be implemented without delay.

The wildfires are simultaneously disrupting the main road and rail routes across the South-West corridor.

• On the road: the A63 was closed over a section of nearly 70 km, from junction 15 on the Bordeaux ring road to exit 23 at Marcheprime in the Bordeaux-to-Spain direction, and from exit 17 at Liposthey to junction 15 on the ring road in the Spain-to-Bordeaux direction. This motorway is the main road freight corridor to the Iberian Peninsula. Its partial closure is forcing carriers to look for alternative routes, mechanically increasing transit times and costs.

• By rail: SNCF announced that rail traffic south of Bordeaux had been suspended “until further notice”. All trains using the line linking Bordeaux to Hendaye and Tarbes via Dax, Bayonne or Pau have been cancelled. The affected lines are Bordeaux-Arcachon, Bordeaux-Mont-de-Marsan and Bordeaux-Hendaye/Pau.

• By air: Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport remains operational. At this stage, air transport is therefore the only mode unaffected for urgent, high-value flows.

With the fire still out of control on the outskirts of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, 27 July is expected to remain highly disrupted, with returns prohibited in evacuated areas and fine-particle air pollution. 

Why this crisis is affecting your flows beyond Gironde

The disruption does not only concern deliveries to Gironde or Landes. The cascading effect is impacting the entire logistics corridor towards southern Europe.

The authorities are asking people to limit travel to Gironde and Landes as much as possible. For carriers, this translates into operational restrictions affecting available capacity across the entire France-Spain-Portugal corridor.
The affected flows include:

• Shipments to South-West France (Gironde, Landes, French Basque Country): risk of deliveries being impossible in evacuated areas;
• Flows to Spain and Portugal: longer transit times and additional costs linked to alternative routes;
• Return flows from the Iberian Peninsula: similar disruptions on northbound routes.

A total of 1,400 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel and 1,700 members of the internal security forces have been deployed to fight the fires, protect local communities and secure evacuated areas. This large-scale mobilisation of resources means that the situation remains focused primarily on crisis management, rather than on the rapid restoration of traffic.

Our recommendations for securing your shipments

In this context, the following measures should be implemented without delay for every shipment affected by the impacted areas:

• Do not hand over goods destined for affected areas without first obtaining confirmation from your carrier that they can be accepted and transported.
• Confirm that the consignee is present, accessible and able to receive the goods before any shipment to Gironde or northern Landes.
• Anticipate additional lead times for flows to South-West France, Spain and Portugal.
• Inform your customers of potential delays and retain a written record of all communications sent.
• Validate any alternative route, revised lead time or additional charge with your carrier before shipment, not afterwards.
• Whenever possible, postpone non-urgent shipments to the most severely affected areas.

Traceability of communications is particularly important in this context: in the event of a dispute or insurance claim, it provides evidence that your company acted with due diligence. 

How to manage your flows during a logistics crisis

Crises of this nature reveal the strength, or weakness, of a company’s transport management processes. Organisations with centralised visibility over their current shipments can react within hours. Others only discover the problems when they receive an invoice or a customer complaint. 

Three operational levers should be activated immediately:

1. Mapping your actual exposure: which current shipments transit via the A63 or the Bordeaux-Hendaye line? What value of goods may potentially be blocked?
2. Coordination with carriers: service providers whose vehicles are immobilised or diverted must be contacted without delay to confirm revised lead times and available options.
3. Monitoring announced additional costs: a route diversion generates additional billable kilometres. These extra costs must be contractually validated before being accepted, not retrospectively.

ThemaTrans has been supporting its clients in this type of crisis management since 1997: bespoke, 360-degree advice aligned exclusively with your interests, with no trucks and no warehouses. In comparable situations, this type of structured management has helped identify substantial savings, including during periods of pressure on transport capacity. 

FAQ: wildfires in Gironde and transport disruptions

Q : Is the A63 completely closed between Bordeaux and Spain?

A: No, the closure is partial. The A63 was closed over approximately 70 km, between junction 15 on the Bordeaux ring road and exit 23 at Marcheprime in the Bordeaux-to-Spain direction, and between exit 17 at Liposthey and junction 15 in the Spain-to-Bordeaux direction. The situation is evolving: check real-time closures with your carrier before any shipment.

Q : Is rail freight traffic to Spain also affected?

A: SNCF announced that rail traffic south of Bordeaux had been suspended until further notice, and all trains using the line linking Bordeaux to Hendaye and Tarbes via Dax and Bayonne were cancelled. This interruption also affects rail freight flows on this corridor. Contact your rail operator for information on expected restoration times.

Q : Can I continue shipping to Bordeaux and the surrounding area?

A: Outside the evacuated areas, operations may continue, but transport difficulties are likely to disrupt many journeys. Before any shipment to Gironde, confirm with your carrier that they are able to handle the delivery and that the consignee is accessible.

Q : What should I do if my carrier announces additional charges due to a route diversion?

A: Any additional cost linked to an alternative route must be approved in writing before shipment. Ask your carrier to formally confirm the alternative route, the revised lead time and the additional cost. Do not accept any implicit approval: retain a written record of every exchange.

Q : How can I anticipate transport capacity shortages on South-West flows during a crisis?

A: Diversifying your carrier base remains the most effective measure. ThemaTrans can consult its network of partners to guide you towards the right services and carriers with available capacity on alternative routes.

Conclusion: do not simply endure the crisis, manage it

The wildfires in Gironde constitute a logistics alert that should be managed with the same level of rigour as a supply disruption or an unexpected rate increase. The situation is changing hour by hour, as the fires progress.

ThemaTrans, an independent supply chain optimisation specialist since 1997, supports supply chain teams in precisely this type of situation: bespoke, 360-degree advice aligned with your interests and those of your customers.

Request support to optimise your logistics flows: ThemaTrans assesses your actual exposure to the current disruptions, identifies viable alternative routes and helps you manage your South-West flows without destabilising your entire supply chain. 

Sources :

• Bordeaux Gazette — Incendies en Gironde : transports, travail, air… ce qu'il faut savoir ce lundi, 27 juillet 2026
• Franceinfo — Trains interrompus, A63 partiellement fermée… Les transports perturbés par les incendies en Gironde, 26 juillet 2026
• Préfète de Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde — Arrêté de fermeture partielle de l'A63, 25 juillet 2026
• Wikipédia — Feux de forêt de 2026 en Gironde et dans les Landes (source agrégée de données officielles)
• Alouette.fr — Feu du siècle en Gironde : perturbations du trafic routier et ferroviaire, 26 juillet 2026