More than 300,000 people fled wildfires raging across France and Spain on Saturday as worsening conditions forced fresh evacuations and authorities warned of a “difficult night”. Fire-generated whirlwinds fuelled blazes near Bordeaux, while Spain battled expanding infernos threatening areas near Madrid. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
French authorities say 220,000 people have now been evacuated from largest forest fire
French authorities said Sunday that 220,000 people have now been evacuated from the main forest fire raging in the southwest of the country that now threatens the city of Bordeaux.
The latest evacuations have been in villages around Bordeaux while 60 kilometres of the main A63 highway from Bordeaux to the Spanish border has been closed because of the fires, regional authorities said. Tens of thousands more have been evacuated from other wildfires in France and central Spain.
Thousands crowd emergency shelters as wildfires force exodus in France and Spain
Thousands crowded into emergency shelters in France and Spain on Sunday after wildfires drove more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and holiday accommodation.
The blazes have destroyed houses, displaced people on a massive scale and triggered one of the largest peacetime civilian evacuation operations ever carried out in France.
One person was killed in eastern Spain and fresh evacuations were ordered around the French city of Bordeaux and the Spanish capital Madrid.
Families slept on camp beds in exhibition halls and gymnasiums after fleeing walls of smoke and flames that swept through forests and tourist areas, leaving residents and holidaymakers uncertain if they would be able to return.
“We were told: ‘You have to evacuate’,” said Frederic Tavitian, 70, who spent the night at Bordeaux’s exhibition centre, converted into a vast emergency shelter.
“We saw columns of smoke, like a volcano about to erupt.”
Major autoroute closed in Gironde
Sophie Brocas, the prefect of Gironde and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ordered a partial closure order of the A63.
“South-North sine: closure between Interchange 17 of Liposthey and Interchange 24 located in Cestas. North-South direction: closure between the ring road and interchange 23, located in Marcheprime,” says the message published on X.
The message asks the population to avoid the sector at all costs.
Emmanuel Macron thanks the European Union and several European countries for their help in fighting fires
Thousands of soldiers and security deployed in France to assist firefighters
France has deployed 1,500 soldiers and 1,700 security personnel to assist firefighters near Bordeaux, and on Saturday an A400M military transport aircraft joined the fleet of smaller planes already dousing the flames.
Dozens of firefighters were deployed from Paris to reinforce the response. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said a total of 1,400 firefighters were tackling the blazes.
Spain orders more evacuations as Madrid wildfires worsen
Spain’s interior ministry announced a fresh round of evacuations late on Saturday as wildfires raged near Madrid, including in the province of Toledo, south-west of the Spanish capital.
“The situation is complex,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters. “Today, we are somewhat more pessimistic than yesterday. Weather conditions – as you have seen throughout the day – have not helped at all. The night ahead does not look favourable; it will not be an easy one for us,” he warned.
