More than 160,000 people have fled their homes as devastating wildfires continue to sweep across parts of France and Spain, forcing mass evacuations, destroying homes and stretching emergency services to their limits.
The unprecedented blazes have ravaged areas near Madrid and Bordeaux, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of residents and tourists as flames, fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and prolonged drought, continue to spread rapidly.
French President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to support firefighters battling what officials describe as the worst wildfire crisis France has ever experienced. France has also requested assistance from the European Union as the flames advance towards Bordeaux.
Authorities ordered precautionary evacuations in towns near Bordeaux, while traffic officials urged motorists to avoid affected roads to ensure emergency responders could access the fire zones without obstruction.
Around 44,000 people fled the Cap Ferret peninsula south of Bordeaux after the area’s only access road was threatened by advancing flames. Hundreds were evacuated by boat, while many others escaped by road. More than 50 homes have already been destroyed.
French and Spanish officials said at least 141,000 people have been evacuated in southwestern France, while another 25,000 have fled the Madrid region, including more than 1,200 elderly and disabled people.
France and Spain have appealed to the European Union for additional support as firefighters struggle to contain the fast-moving infernos.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the country had never witnessed wildfires on such a scale and pledged to do everything possible to protect Bordeaux.
In Spain, Madrid’s emergency management chief, Carlos Novillo, described the wildfire near the capital as being “at its peak” and beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to visit the emergency coordination centre, while French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced the deployment of 1,000 military personnel to assist firefighting operations after the fires scorched more than 22,000 hectares.
French authorities have also dispatched 1.5 million FFP2 face masks to protect emergency workers and residents from hazardous smoke.
The disaster has taken a heavy toll on emergency responders. About 40 firefighters were injured battling the Cap Ferret blaze, while three firefighters died this week in separate wildfires in France and Italy.
In Spain, two major wildfires west of Madrid have merged into one, threatening the town of Navas del Rey and prompting further evacuations.
Emergency shelters have been opened in schools and gymnasiums across southwestern France for displaced residents and tourists uncertain about what they will return to.
Among those seeking refuge is 90-year-old Maria Lalanne, who fled her home without her glasses or hearing aid.
“I have heart disease, high blood pressure and problems with my eyes,” she said. “I don’t know how long this will last. I don’t know if my house has burnt.”
Following urgent appeals for assistance, the European Commission has deployed four water-bombing aircraft to Spain and three to France to reinforce firefighting efforts.
Regional authorities say the fires around Madrid are the worst in the region’s history. The largest active blaze in Guadalajara province has already scorched about 32,000 hectares, while fires around Cap Ferret and Biscarrosse in France have burned more than 13,500 hectares.
Italy is also battling dozens of wildfires, particularly on the island of Sicily, underscoring the growing wildfire emergency across southern Europe as extreme heat and prolonged drought continue to fuel destructive blazes.
The unfolding crisis has left thousands of families facing an uncertain future, highlighting the devastating human cost of one of Europe’s most severe wildfire disasters in recent years.
