France evacuates Cap Ferret peninsula as Spanish wildfires merge

Spain’s govt declares national emergency

Paris/Madrid: Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from southwestern France and areas near Madrid as massive wildfires, fuelled by extreme heat and strong winds, spread rapidly.

French authorities ordered the evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula near Bordeaux, where about 40,000 people were moved to safety, many by boat. Officials said the blaze had destroyed 10,000 hectares, 53 homes and a campsite, though around 2,000 houses were saved.

In Spain, over 19,000 people were evacuated after wildfires raged west of Madrid, prompting the government to declare a national emergency. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the worst wildfire in the region’s history, while PM Pedro Sánchez called the situation “dramatic”. Firefighters in both nations continued battling multiple blazes amid severe drou­ght, high temperatures and strong winds. French officials said the wildfire spread rapidly overnight, with flames advancing at up to 1,000 hectares an hour in drought-hit conditions, making firefighting operations far more difficult.