Mass wildfires force evacuations in France and Spain as emergency response expands

Wildfires in France and Spain have forced more than 250,000 people to leave their homes, as firefighters and emergency services struggle to contain fast-moving blazes driven by heat and strong winds. The fires have affected large areas in both countries, with major evacuations reported around Bordeaux in south-western France and in central Spain. Officials in both countries say the situation remains difficult as the flames continue to advance.

Sponsored

In Spain, about 70,000 people were evacuated from central areas, and the government declared a national emergency over the fires, which officials said was the first time such a measure had been used for a wildfire. In France, about 197,000 people fled, including tens of thousands from Bordeaux and surrounding areas. France's interior minister said the evacuations were probably the biggest peacetime evacuation in the country's history, while the Gironde regional prefect said the fire had reached an unprecedented magnitude.

French authorities have deployed military support, including 1,500 soldiers, and brought in aircraft to help fight the blaze in the Gironde region. A large military cargo plane, the Airbus A400M Atlas, was among the aircraft sent to reinforce 18 others already involved in the response. The government has also rushed 1.5 million face masks to help protect people from smoke inhalation, while crews have been digging trenches and using retardants to slow the fire's spread.

Police have gone door to door in some areas to order evacuations, and residents in coastal towns have also fled by boat. The fires matter because they have become a major cross-border emergency affecting densely populated areas, transport routes and public health. Smoke has prompted health warnings in Madrid, while the approach of the flames toward Bordeaux has raised concern in one of France's best-known wine regions.