Horses were seen racing through the smoke-filled streets of Biscarrosse in southwestern France as they tried to escape a fast-moving wildfire. The town is located in the Landes department, roughly 65 kilometres southwest of Bordeaux.
Staff at the Ecuries d’en Hill riding centre made the difficult decision to release the animals from their enclosures. With flames, heat and heavy smoke making transportation too dangerous, they opened the fences and allowed the horses to find safety on their own.
According to the centre’s manager, Marine Champeval, most of the roughly 100 horses had been evacuated earlier. However, around 10 animals were still in nearby fields, and staff feared they could become trapped by the fire. “We figured animal instinct would do the job,” Champeval told Le Monde, as cited by .
The dramatic footage quickly spread online, showing frightened horses running through the town as dark smoke filled the sky. Fortunately, all of the released animals were later found alive and unharmed.
The fire broke out near Biscarrosse on 23 July and spread rapidly through pine woodland in the Landes de Gascogne forest. Authorities said the blaze reached the eastern edge of the town after burning around 1,200 hectares, prompting the evacuation of more than 5,000 people.
Around 250 firefighters were deployed to battle the blaze, supported by a Dash aircraft and two Canadair water bombers. The fire threatened an area near Lake Cazaux that includes several campsites, while emergency services worked to stop the flames from spreading further.
The broader situation in southwestern France remained difficult, as another major wildfire north of Arcachon Bay had already burned about 4,800 hectares and led to the precautionary evacuation of nearly 20,000 people. Authorities linked the high fire risk to exceptionally dry vegetation and soils following months of dry weather and recent heatwaves.
Although the horses survived, the Ecuries d’en Hill site suffered serious damage. The stable reported that its storage shed, shelters and fences had been destroyed, meaning the facility could not immediately bring all 100 horses back or resume normal operations.