More than 250,000 people in France and Spain have fled fires which have been raging for days, as winds and high temperatures hamper efforts to contain them. Overnight, seven towns west of Bordeaux were told to evacuate residents.
In Spain, where a state of emergency has been declared, a change in weather conditions has helped firefighters outside Madrid.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez admitted there are “complex times ahead”. Meanwhile, authorities in València confirmed the death of a man in a fire.
The man, believed to be in his 70s, was found dead in his car by firefighters as they extinguished a fire in the Salt de l’Aigua ravine in Manises, according to local media reports.
In France, around 200,000 people have been evacuated in south-western regions of Gironde and Landes regions.
France has mobilised its military to help with the response and extra reinforcements from the army have been sent to help firefighters by clearing brush and creating fire breaks.
As of Saturday morning, the wildfire was around 40km to 50km (25 to 30 miles) away from Bordeaux. Still, the wind was blowing smoke towards the city and people reported an acrid smell in the air.
One tourist who fled an approaching wildfire near Bordeaux with his family described the scale of the blaze as “frightening”.
Spencer Randall told the BBC his family evacuated in the early hours of Saturday to an area 100 miles east, but they can “still smell the wildfires from here”.
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“It’s quite strong winds fanning the flames, just terrifying,” he said.
A British couple holidaying in Bordeaux said they noticed the flames get worse on Friday night, as the fire approached.
“At about seven o’clock you could smell smoke. We thought someone was having a barbecue,” Maisie told BBC Newsbeat from their holiday rental.
Her partner, Caleb, said the ash has now covered the pool in the house and turned their feet black when walking outside.
The smoke “really hits your lungs right away”, they added.
Nearby, in Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc, residents evacuating said the situation was “stressful”, with one local describing it a “disaster”.
The final leg of the Tour de France, due to take place Sunday, has been shortened from 133km (83 miles) to 89km (55 miles) so that security forces can be redeployed to areas affected by wildfires, organisers and police have said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to have an emergency meeting with ministers as 30 or so fires rage across the country – a situation which the government said is totally unprecedented.
In Spain, fires continued near Madrid but the regional government said there had been some progress.
“The change in weather conditions – less wind, higher humidity and lower temperature – has greatly benefited the fight against the forest fires, which have advanced little and decreased in intensity,” it wrote on X.
Speaking from Cenicientos, south-west of Madrid, Prime Minister Sánchez said: “Right now, we have a window of opportunity in order to tackle against the wildfires, protect and save lives and effectively try and control the fire.”
“It’s true that temperatures have dropped a little bit. But still the wind is making it difficult and there may be thunderstorms as well.”
BBC
