More than 250,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to out-of-control forest fires in France and Spain, according to the authorities in both countries. Around 70,000 residents have been evacuated in central Spain, and 197,000 in France. Strong winds are driving the fires towards Bordeaux, whilst smoke from the fires has prompted warnings for residents of Madrid.
Briefly about the main points
- More than 250,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain.
- Spain has declared a national state of emergency for the first time due to wildfires.
- The fire in Gironde is moving towards the Bordeaux conurbation.
- Dozens of firefighters were injured in France; there were no fatalities.
- EU countries are sending aeroplanes and helicopters to help with the firefighting efforts.
The fire has drawn closer to Bordeaux
In France, the fires have engulfed more than 98,000 hectares. The Minister of the Interior Laurent Nounier described it as a historic record, and the scale of the evacuation as probably the largest the country has ever seen in peacetime.
Foci of fire were spotted about 20 miles west of Bordeaux. The Prefect of Gironde Sophie Broca said on Friday that strong winds were driving the flames towards the urban area and that the fire had reached an unprecedented scale. The police were going from house to house in the western suburbs of Bordeaux, ordering people to leave immediately.
According to the French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, the fire in Gironde became so intense that it began to generate its own winds. In coastal areas, some residents had to be evacuated by boat as the flames approached built-up areas.
The military and the air force are stepping up fire-fighting efforts
The French government has deployed 1,500 military personnel and sent a large Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft to Gironde. It is set to join the 18 aircraft already fighting the fires. Firefighters are also digging trenches and applying fire-retardant substances.
The authorities have distributed 1.5 million protective masks due to the risk of smoke inhalation. In France, dozens of firefighters have been injured, but there have been no fatalities from the fires in France or Spain.
In Spain, the situation is being exacerbated by the wind: two of the three fire outbreaks merged on Friday. The national state of emergency declared by the country was the first such measure to be taken in response to a forest fire.
Madrid has been warned of dangerous air quality
Spain’s Minister of Health Monica Garcia She urged the residents of Madrid to stay indoors due to the deterioration in air quality caused by the smoke. She advised them to avoid physical activity outdoors and, if there was smoke or ash, to wear a face mask.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez He reported that since the start of the year, fires in Spain have destroyed 130,000 hectares of forest — roughly a third more than the annual average. He described Saturday’s drop in temperature as an opportunity for firefighters to contain the blaze, but cautioned that the future strength and direction of the wind remain uncertain.
European aid is arriving in both countries
Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are sending aid to France and Spain, including aircraft for water-dropping operations. The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen She stated that five aircraft and two helicopters from the European reserve had already been dispatched to France, and that four aircraft were on their way to Spain.
Long-lasting heatwaves have dried out the forests, making them particularly vulnerable to the rapid spread of fire. Scientists link more frequent and extreme weather events to the climate crisis; Europe is warming at roughly twice the global average rate. Despite the drop in temperature, the authorities point out that how the situation develops will depend, in particular, on the strength and direction of the wind.
