Uncontrollable Wildfires in France and Spain Force Mass Evacuations

In southwestern France and central Spain, large wildfires raged uncontrollably, prompting authorities to evacuate approximately 200,000 people from their homes. In some instances, residents fled by boat as the fires ravaged the coastal tourist regions of France’s Atlantic coast. While dozens of firefighters suffered injuries, no fatalities were reported in either country.

In France, around 141,000 people were evacuated from the Gironde and Landes departments, according to the French Interior Ministry. Meanwhile, in central Spain, the Spanish Interior Ministry indicated that 60,000 residents were forced to leave their homes. Laurent Nunez, France’s Interior Minister, stated that the wildfire, which devastated vast areas in the southwest, was heading toward Bordeaux.

In an interview with French television channel Tf1, Nunez explained that the fire, which had earlier led to evacuation orders on the Cap Ferret peninsula, had scorched 140 square kilometers. This forced 110,000 people to evacuate in the Gironde region. “We learned in the afternoon that, after a wind shift, this became a self-sustaining fire extremely difficult to control,” noted Nunez. “It is now moving east toward Bordeaux’s metropolitan area. We are reorganizing our response to combat it from the ground and prevent its progress toward Bordeaux.”

French President Emmanuel Macron directed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu to activate the government’s crisis response unit. He instructed the military to mobilize in support of the civil emergency services. When asked about Bordeaux’s situation, Nunez said, “At the moment, no. We will do everything possible to protect it using ground resources, including requisitioned military assets and our firefighters.”

Around 140 square kilometers (48 square miles) of land have been consumed by the fire near the touristy Cap Ferret peninsula. Situated only 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Bordeaux, the area usually features breathtaking landscapes, sandy beaches, oyster farming villages, and luxury resorts. Several people sought refuge by boarding boats to escape the flames.

Another wildfire erupted in Landes, leading to 31,000 evacuations. Both countries have requested assistance from other European Union members. Laurent Moretti, a resident of the French commune of Arès, remarked, “It is impressive and even frightening. We have never experienced an evacuation of this magnitude. We only hope that the firefighters can control it quickly.”

By Thursday, over 20,000 individuals had already been evacuated from towns and resorts, a number that surged on Friday as the fires raged on. Local authorities in the Gironde department reported that 53 homes and a campsite were engulfed by the flames, with 42 firefighters injured. Approximately 1,500 evacuees from the peninsula reached the city of Arcachon by sea, some on small water taxis and others on larger vessels.

Hundreds of French firefighters were mobilized, with additional ground and air reinforcements dispatched on Friday to battle the blaze. Meanwhile, another major wildfire destroyed 25 square kilometers of terrain further south along the coast. The fires remained uncontained as strong winds hampered extinguishing efforts. Authorities believe both fires were accidental in origin.

“We will soon have reinforcements, including two Croatian Canadair water-bombing planes, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two high-capacity Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” announced President Macron. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Italy and Greece are each sending two Canadair planes to drop water.

Spain is struggling to extinguish multiple fires amid a heatwave. The government declared a national emergency due to forest fires for the first time, as blazes in Madrid and the nearby province of Ávila forced about 60,000 people to evacuate from towns west of the capital. Fires are exacerbated by a heatwave with temperatures expected to exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Spain.

The two large fires near Madrid merged, quickly scorching 30 square kilometers (11.5 square miles) by Friday afternoon. Regional President Isabel Díaz-Ayuso described it as Madrid’s worst fire in history. Francisco Martín, the central government’s representative for the Madrid region, stated that an additional 20,000 people were ordered to remain sheltered at home in towns west of the capital.

Martín added that more evacuations could occur, with the priority being to protect the town of San Lorenzo, home to El Escorial, the 16th-century royal palace and monastery of Philip II. In Ávila, less than two hours northwest of Madrid, a wildfire consumed 90 square kilometers (34 square miles), causing another 1,500 people to flee. The Spanish Civil Guard arrested a man and is investigating another for allegedly using heavy machinery in an area where it was banned due to fire risk. Police speculate a spark started the fire on Thursday.

Francisco Martínez, mayor of Burgohondo — whose residents were evacuated as a precaution in Ávila — told Spanish public broadcaster TVE that in his 60 years, he had never seen a situation like this or a fire of such magnitude in the town.

Spanish television showed images captured by fleeing residents, revealing walls of flames topped by towering columns of smoke advancing through forests and scrubland. Strong winds and mountainous terrain complicated firefighters’ efforts, who battled the blazes with trucks and bulldozers.

In a week, Spain has experienced its most severe wildfires on record for both the Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid regions. Firefighters continued battling the second-largest fire recorded in Spain, in Guadalajara province, Castilla-La Mancha, after it burned 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) over the past week.

Earlier this month, thirteen people perished in a southern Spain blaze, marking the deadliest in recent history. Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, stated that so far this year, fires have burned 1,140 square kilometers (440 square miles) of land in Spain, more than five times the area burned in the same period in 2015. On Friday, nine other major fires were active in other parts of Spain.

Fernando Sánchez urged a pact among political parties to fight climate change, emphasizing that it is essential to adapting to a climate more prone to fires. Spain has recorded record temperatures in recent summers and increasingly severe wildfires.

Wildfire analyst Raúl Quílez noted that beyond climate change, rural areas in Spain have become more fire-prone as agricultural lands that once offered buffer zones around towns have been abandoned. He said trees and undergrowth often now extend to homes, endangering them. “This situation is perfect for this type of fire,” remarked Quílez, speaking by phone from Valencia, where he works as an analyst for regional firefighters.

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Alicia León in Chapinería, Spain, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report. Petrequin reported from Paris. Wilson reported from Barcelona.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with assistance from a generative AI tool.