French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the deployment of military personnel to support firefighters battling what officials describe as one of the most severe wildfire emergencies in the country’s history, as massive blazes continue to spread across southwestern France and parts of Spain.
The fast-moving fires have forced more than 166,000 people to flee their homes, including about 141,000 residents in southwestern France and another 25,000 people in the Madrid region of Spain, according to French and Spanish authorities.
In France, the fires have advanced toward the city of Bordeaux, prompting officials to evacuate several communities west of the city. One of the hardest-hit areas is the Cap Ferret peninsula, where approximately 44,000 people were ordered to leave as flames threatened the area’s only access road.
Authorities said around 27 boats were used to evacuate hundreds of residents and tourists by sea, while many others escaped by road. More than 50 homes have reportedly been destroyed.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the emergency as unprecedented.
“France has never before seen this type of fire on this scale,” Nuñez said, adding that authorities would “do everything” possible to protect Bordeaux from the advancing flames.
With firefighters facing worsening conditions fueled by strong winds and prolonged drought, both France and Spain have requested assistance through the European Union’s emergency response mechanism.
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that 1,000 military personnel would be deployed to reinforce emergency operations as the fires continue to spread.
He also disclosed that 1.5 million FFP2 protective masks would be delivered to France’s Gironde department to safeguard emergency responders and residents from hazardous smoke.
The fires have already consumed about 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) of land in France.
Authorities said around 40 firefighters battling the Cap Ferret wildfire have sustained injuries. Meanwhile, three firefighters have lost their lives in separate wildfire incidents in France and Italy this week.
In neighboring Spain, officials warned that the wildfire situation near Madrid remains critical. Carlos Novillo, head of emergency management for the Madrid regional government, said firefighters were struggling to contain the blaze.
“The wildfire is at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain,” Novillo said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit the affected region to assess the emergency response and meet with officials coordinating firefighting efforts.
Officials also confirmed that two of the three major wildfires burning west of Madrid have merged into a single, larger blaze, increasing the threat to nearby suburban communities.
Emergency shelters have been opened in schools and sports halls across southwestern France to accommodate thousands of displaced residents and holidaymakers.
Among those evacuated was 90-year-old Maria Lalanne from Lège-Cap-Ferret, who said she fled without several essential belongings.
“I have heart disease, high blood pressure and problems with my eyes,” she said. “I don’t know how long all this will last. I don’t know how my house is, whether it has burnt.”
Climate experts have warned that repeated heatwaves and prolonged drought have significantly increased the risk of devastating wildfires across southern Europe this year, creating conditions that allow fires to spread rapidly and become more difficult to control.
