A further 55,000 people have been evacuated from six towns south of Bordeaux, as wildfires that have ravaged France and Spain drag on.
The fire fronts have engulfed an area of 42,000 hectares, marking one of the biggest forest burn events in France since the Second World War. Total roots across the country have surpassed 98,000 hectares since the beginning of the year.
Captain Nicolas Braz of the firefighting squad said the blaze was “creating its own winds – complete with whirlwinds,” noting how erratic and unmanageable the spread had become.
Dry vegetation, high temperatures and brisk wind speeds are accelerating the fire’s advance, even shutting down 60km of the A63 motorway that provides a main route to Spain.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that the situation would remain critical for an extended period, stating evacuees and visitors would have no return until containment is achieved.
The French army has been mobilised to assist, sending extra units to clear brush and build fire breaks. President Emmanuel Macron pledged government support for a long‑lasting reconstruction effort.
Meanwhile, Spanish fires are spreading, with more than 90,000 residents evacuated around Madrid and Ávila. Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, described the crisis as the “worst fire the region has seen in history.”
Cyclist protests and environmental groups have highlighted the broader climate urgency, noting that rising temperatures and decreased humidity are prime drivers for such extreme events.
Authorities in Valencia confirm a fatality from a blaze in their region, underscoring the human cost of unchecked wildfire proliferation.
