The fires have been burning since Tuesday. In southwestern France, authorities ordered the evacuation of the Cap Ferret peninsula “village by village,” while residents were also forced to leave parts of the Gironde and Landes departments. A total of about 140,000 people have been evacuated in France.
Firefighting efforts in France
(Video: Reuters)
In Spain, wildfires west of Madrid have forced some 60,000 residents from their homes and prompted the government to declare a national emergency over wildfires for the first time in the country’s history.
(Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
(Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
The fire in France is threatening to cut off the only access road to Cap Ferret, a popular tourist destination on the Atlantic coast. Authorities deployed boats to assist with the evacuation, including that of large numbers of tourists who were instructed to leave the area. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said it was the largest wildfire to hit France this year.
Another major fire erupted Wednesday night south of Cap Ferret, near the Atlantic coastal town of Biscarrosse. French authorities said the blaze was unlikely to subside before the end of the day because of winds reaching 50 kilometers per hour and temperatures of between 36°C and 37°C.
At least 100 homes have been destroyed. Two firefighters were injured while battling flames near Bordeaux Airport, but no other casualties have been reported.
“We could see the clouds getting darker and darker,” said Yoann Aurien, who fled his home in Biscarrosse on Wednesday night. “I managed to find shelter with my pets, but it is still a major shock.”
In Spain, some 2,000 firefighters and 10 firefighting aircraft have been deployed, but authorities have so far been unable to bring the fires under control.
The main blaze began as two separate fires that later merged. Officials initially feared that a third fire could also join them, although authorities said Thursday evening that it appeared to be moving north, making a merger less likely. “This fire is at its peak. It is impossible to extinguish it,” local officials said.
The wildfires west of Madrid
(Photo: AFP / SPAIN'S GUARDIA CIVIL / HANDOUT)
(Photo: Cesar MANSO / AFP)
Madrid regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as “the worst fire in the history of our region” after announcing that the two fires had merged. “It is a perfect storm of extremely high temperatures and relentless winds that are not easing,” she said.
“I had to run from my home. There was a ball of fire,” said Enrique Martín, an evacuee staying at a shelter in Cebreros, west of Madrid. “Had I waited another five minutes, it would have killed us.”
The third fire is burning in Ávila province. Authorities had feared it would merge with the larger blaze, but officials in Madrid said Thursday evening that it appeared to be advancing northward.
Spanish police said they had arrested one man and were investigating another suspect in connection with the outbreak of the fires. Investigators said heavy machinery may have been used in a prohibited area.
The fires in Spain have so far destroyed at least 80 homes in an area where many Madrid residents own vacation properties.