Spain and France declare national emergencies as wildfires displace 200,000
Spanish authorities declare a national emergency as a blaze near Madrid reaches its peak, while French officials evacuate over 141,000 residents from the Gironde and Landes regions amid calls for European Union assistance.
Massive, uncontained wildfires across Spain and France have forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people from their homes and holiday resorts, prompting high-level government interventions in both nations. In Spain, a wildfire near the capital, Madrid, has reached its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain, leading the government to declare a national emergency. Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government’s emergency management chief, confirmed that erratic winds are threatening to fan the blazes further, with thick grey smoke filling the sky west of the city.
The crisis in Spain intensified on Friday when two separate wildfires merged to form a single huge blaze, which is now close to merging with another fire in the neighbouring Castilla y Leon region. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to attend an emergency planning meeting on Saturday morning in Cenicientos, a village at the heart of the fire zone, before addressing the media. The evacuation figures in the Madrid region stand at approximately 25,000 people, including more than 1,200 elderly and disabled individuals.
In France, the scale of the disaster has been equally severe, with authorities evacuating over 141,000 people from the Gironde and Landes regions. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that the fires hitting the country have reached a level that has never been seen before. The French army has been drafted in to assist with containment efforts, and President Emmanuel Macron has formally requested assistance from the European Union.
Specific areas around Bordeaux are being cleared out, including the suburbs of Le Haillan, Eysines, and Merignac. Sophie Brocas, who heads the local administration of La Nouvelle-Aquitaine et de la Gironde, confirmed the evacuation orders as wildfires in the areas around the city showed no signs of abating. The Bordeaux region, a key transport hub for tourists visiting Atlantic coast holiday resorts, is facing significant disruption to its infrastructure and tourism sector.
The situation on the Cap Ferret peninsula south of Bordeaux has been particularly acute, with around 44,000 people fleeing the upmarket area as the only road was threatened by flames. Boats were used to move hundreds of people away from the fires, while others drove off the peninsula, which is known for its millionaire residences. More than 50 houses have been destroyed in the area.
The heightened wildfire threat this year has been linked to drought exacerbated by human-fuelled climate change, according to a study published this week by the World Weather Attribution group. Some European regions have already suffered at least two heatwaves since May, creating volatile conditions for emergency responders across the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.
