Thousands of residents and holidaymakers have been forced to flee as powerful wildfires continue to spread across south-western France and central Spain, destroying homes, campsites and vast stretches of woodland while emergency crews battle to contain the flames.
French officials have ordered the complete evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula near Bordeaux, with many people leaving by road while others were transported across the Bay of Arcachon by boat.
The popular coastal destination, which attracts large numbers of tourists during the summer, has become one of the worst-hit locations in the Gironde department.
Authorities estimate that approximately 40,000 people have either been evacuated or are in the process of leaving the peninsula.
Local officials reported that at least 53 houses and a campsite have been destroyed, although firefighters succeeded in protecting roughly 2,000 other properties from the advancing blaze.
The wildfire, which ignited earlier this week, has already scorched around 10,000 hectares of land.
Fire commanders said the flames intensified overnight, spreading at extraordinary speed under extremely dry conditions and strong winds.
Officials noted that the current drought has created more dangerous conditions than those experienced during the devastating 2022 wildfire season.
Emergency services also extended evacuation orders to the nearby town of Arès after the fire continued to move towards residential communities.
Residents have been advised to stay away from the affected zones while security personnel patrol evacuated neighbourhoods to prevent looting.
Elsewhere in France’s Landes department, another major wildfire near Biscarrosse has displaced more than 23,000 people from homes, campsites, a nursing facility and a children’s holiday camp.
Authorities warned that high temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius, combined with strong winds, were likely to hamper firefighting operations.
More than 100 buildings have reportedly suffered partial or total destruction.
Although no additional fatalities have been recorded since Thursday, two firefighters lost their lives earlier this week while responding to another wildfire near Bordeaux Airport.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the country’s wildfire emergency as extremely serious, particularly in the Gironde region, as additional firefighting resources continued to arrive.
The European Union has deployed aircraft and helicopters to reinforce French emergency services, while extra firefighting planes have also been sent to Spain.
Across the border, Spain declared a national emergency as several uncontrolled wildfires burned west of Madrid.
Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the crisis as the worst wildfire disaster ever experienced in the Madrid region, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez appealed to residents to exercise maximum caution amid the worsening conditions.
Among those forced to flee in France was British tourist David Morton, who said emergency alerts received during the early hours of Friday prompted his family to leave immediately.
He described witnessing long queues of vehicles, emergency responders and visible flames as they escaped the peninsula.
Another visitor, Olivia Jarratt, said her family abandoned their camping equipment after sirens sounded before dawn at a campsite in Truc Vert.
She recalled confusion among foreign tourists as evacuation announcements were made only in French while thousands rushed towards the peninsula’s single exit road.
The Cap Ferret peninsula is home to fewer than 8,000 permanent residents, but its population increases dramatically during the summer holiday season.
Officials have urged the public to avoid all affected areas as firefighters, supported by additional ground crews and aircraft, continue efforts to contain the fast-moving infernos.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong