Wildfires with Health Impacts to Be Assessed

Between July 22 and August 1, 2026, the Gironde and Landes regions were struck by unprecedented wildfires that destroyed several hundred homes and led to the evacuation of more than 250,000 people. These fires also caused an episode of particulate matter air pollution (high concentrations of PM10), with immediate health consequences. Monitoring conducted by the regional office of Santé publique France, based on reports from emergency services and SOS Médecins, showed an increase in medical consultations for asthma, anxiety, and depression.

• Forest Fires in Gironde and the Landes. Bulletin of July 29, 2026. 
• Forest fires in Gironde and Landes. Bulletin of August 5, 2026.

The survey, launched with the support of the URPS Nouvelle-Aquitaine among private general practitioners and pediatricians, aims to supplement and document these initial findings. It will help better characterize the health effects and identify the specific needs of populations exposed, directly or indirectly, to wildfires and their consequences (evacuations, smoke, stress, etc.).

More than 3,000 healthcare professionals are invited to participate in this survey

General practitioners and pediatricians, who are closest to the community, are best positioned to identify the immediate and post-crisis effects on physical and mental health, as well as any unmet needs among their patients.

More than 2,800 general practitioners and nearly 300 pediatricians in the Gironde and Landes departments are therefore invited to complete an online questionnaire (1 minute) for each patient whose health has deteriorated since the fires began.

The data collected from August 12 to September 1 will be analyzed weekly and shared with healthcare professionals in the form of feedback. The final results will be forwarded to local decision-makers to help adjust support and prevention measures (psychological support teams, medical follow-up, etc.) and published in a bulletin on the Santé publique France website.