Tens of thousands of people remain displaced as devastating wildfires continue to burn across parts of France and Spain, with emergency crews racing to contain fast-moving blazes amid hot, dry and windy conditions.
Image used for illustrative purposes/Oscar Brouchot/Unsplash
In southwest France, more than 55,000 people were evacuated overnight on Sunday as a wildfire advanced towards the renowned wine city of Bordeaux.
The latest evacuations bring the total number of people forced from their homes in the Gironde region to around 220,000 since the fires began last week, according to Euronews.
Fires edge closer to Bordeaux
Authorities say shifting winds and prolonged dry conditions have made the wildfire increasingly unpredictable, hampering efforts to contain the blaze.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the situation as “very unfavourable” after another challenging night for firefighters.
“The fire became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area,” Nunez said in a post on X. He later noted that conditions had become calmer by the end of the night.
The fire has already scorched an estimated 42,000 hectares of forest and scrubland in the Gironde region—an area roughly four times the size of Paris.
More than 2,500 firefighters are now involved in the response, supported by 18 aircraft and helicopters, including assistance from other European countries. French soldiers have also joined the operation, with an A400M military aircraft deployed to drop fire retardant over affected areas.
The Gironde prefecture said 84 firefighters have been treated for injuries sustained during the firefighting efforts, while hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Local wine grower Theo Hernandez praised the support provided by nearby farming communities, with farmers transporting water to keep firefighters supplied.
“This allows firefighters to focus on the fire,” he said. “It’s very strong, very virulent, it’s spreading everywhere.”
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Spain continues to battle multiple wildfires
Meanwhile, Spain remains on high alert as firefighters work to contain several major wildfires, including those burning west of Madrid.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said authorities still faced “some difficult hours ahead”, although overnight conditions had helped crews gain ground against the flames.
According to the Spanish government, around 76,000 people have been evacuated nationwide, while a further 30,000 residents have been ordered to remain in their homes as a safety precaution.
The fires have also affected the Valencia region, where evacuations were carried out over the weekend. A man died on Saturday in a wildfire in Manises, near Valencia, marking Spain’s first reported fatality in the latest wave of fires.
For many evacuees, uncertainty remains.
“It looked like the apocalypse. You couldn’t see anything. Everything was covered in ash,” said Rocío Domínguez, who fled her home in Chapinería, west of Madrid, with her dog.
“We don’t know when we get to the town if we’ll have half the house burned down or we’ll have it intact—or if we’ll have a house at all. All the clothes, all the memories, everything.”
According to Euronews, emergency services in both France and Spain remain on high alert as firefighters continue working to prevent the blazes from spreading further amid ongoing extreme summer conditions.
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