More than 220,000 people have been evacuated so far, as mass evacuations, military deployments and national emergency measures are underway while fast-moving wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain.
French authorities have ordered another 60,000 evacuations near Bordeaux, bringing the total number of people evacuated in France to about 200,000. President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to help fight fires in the south-west of the country.
In neighbouring Spain, authorities declared a national emergency after several wildfires west of Madrid merged into one blaze, which officials say has overwhelmed firefighting efforts. Smoke and fire threats have prompted the evacuation of roughly 25,000 people and the directive for another 40,000-plus to remain indoors.
Driven by the extreme heat, strong winds and "several fronts" that have merged into what Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso called a "perfect storm”, the wildfire is the worst in the history of the Madrid region.
Emergency officials said the fire was moving toward the towns of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Madrid.
“The wildfire is at its maximum, and the firefighters cannot contain it anymore,” Madrid regional emergency chief Carlos Novillo told reporters. “The crews are now focused on protecting the communities, where direct attacks on the flames are no longer possible.”
Spain has mobilised its Military Emergency Unit to help slow the fire's progress, particularly around the historic town of El Escorial.
Authorities are also fighting a second wildfire in the province of Ávila, where officials are concerned the Burgohondo fire could combine with the Madrid fire, possibly creating an even larger emergency.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said authorities were using all available means to prevent the fires from merging. Government delegate Francisco Martín said rapidly spreading embers could lead to more evacuations.
El Tiemblo’s mayor, Arturo Varas González, said the flames advanced some 20 kilometres (12 miles) in less than 30 minutes, and that the fire’s speed was unprecedented.
Madrid region officials say the fire has burnt more than 6,000 hectares and destroyed nearly 9,000 hectares in Ávila.
Authorities have evacuated eight municipalities: Chapinería, Navas del Rey, Colmenar del Arroyo, Fresnedillas de la Oliva, Robledo de Chavela, Aldea del Fresno, Navalagamella and Zarzalejo. Emergency crews are trying to get the fires under control, with several nearby towns still under lockdown.
Ecologio Cabrera, 86, was among those forced to flee and described watching the flames approach his village. “If you don’t run from it and you try to face it, it devours you,” he told AFP, remembering how his family tried to protect their home with garden hoses before firefighters told residents to evacuate.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to visit the emergency coordination centre on Saturday after calling the situation “dramatic” and urging residents to heed official safety instructions.
One person has also been detained, and another is being investigated by the Spanish authorities over the Burgohondo wildfire. According to local media, investigators are examining if negligence by operators of heavy machinery during a restricted period could have caused the fire.
France battles surging 'XXL' wildfire
Fire crews are battling large wildfires in the southwestern French regions of Gironde and Landes.
As a precaution, authorities evacuated four towns near Bordeaux early Saturday, affecting nearly 60,000 residents.
The wildfire in Gironde has burnt more than 19,000 hectares of forest and destroyed about 80 homes. Officials also evacuated the entire Cap Ferret peninsula as hundreds fled by boat with flames threatening the popular coastal destination.
Fire officials said the fire has been made more dangerous by prolonged drought and abnormally dry conditions, worse than the devastating wildfires that struck the region in 2022.
Laurent Nuñez, the interior minister, said around 50 firefighters were injured in the fight against the blaze, which he said was unpredictable and could change direction quickly.
Another fire near Biscarrosse in the Landes region has forced more than 23,000 people to evacuate their homes, campsites, a nursing home and a summer camp.
Officials warned that strong winds and temperatures in the mid 30s would continue to fan the flames.
President Macron called the situation with the wildfire “very tense” and confirmed France had triggered the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism. Additional international aid, including Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is expected to help with firefighting efforts.
Wildfire risk increases with heat, drought
The European Union has deployed aircraft and helicopters to assist with firefighting in France and Spain as southern Europe faces long heatwaves and drought.
The continent is heating up faster than any other part of the world, the Copernicus Climate Change Service said, with average temperatures rising at more than twice the global rate since the 1980s.
Scientists say the extended heat and dry vegetation create conditions that allow wildfires to spread quickly once they ignite. Most fires still result from human activity or lightning, but extreme weather makes them stronger and harder to control.
This year more land across Europe has burnt than the average annual total over the last two decades, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The European Environment Agency has also warned that climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires across the continent, especially in southern Europe.
