Wildfires threaten French missile and rocket factories

France is confronting a national security crisis as unprecedented wildfires threaten critical defense industrial sites in the southwest, compounding an environmental disaster that has already forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. As of July 29, 2026, wildfires have consumed hundreds of square miles of land in the Gironde region and beyond, with flames approaching facilities that manufacture rocket propellants, missile components, and military aircraft.

The fires, which ignited on July 22 and have been described by authorities as the worst in France's modern history, have burned an area reported to be several times the size of Paris. More than 360,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain. While firefighters have stabilized some major blazes, officials continue to battle flare-ups amid a prolonged heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and near-record drought conditions.

The crisis has escalated with the fires moving close to strategically sensitive industrial zones near Bordeaux. A primary concern is the ArianeGroup facility at Saint-Médard-en-Jalles, a 435-hectare site that produces combustible materials for Ariane launch vehicles and...