BORDEAUX, France — More than 350,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as unprecedented wildfires continue to rage across southwestern France and central and eastern Spain, with authorities warning that the fast-moving blazes remain largely beyond containment despite a massive emergency response.
The fires, which have burned for several days, are among the most destructive either country has experienced in peacetime, scorching vast forests, destroying homes and forcing thousands of tourists and residents to abandon entire communities.
French authorities said more than 250,000 people have been evacuated, while at least 90,000 others have fled affected areas in Spain, including regions around Madrid, Ávila and Valencia.
French President Emmanuel Macron has convened a crisis cabinet meeting for Monday to coordinate the government’s response as emergency crews continue battling the infernos threatening communities near Bordeaux.
The largest wildfire in France has generated an unprecedented pyrocumulonimbus cloud—a massive fire-induced thunderstorm capable of creating its own weather system, generating powerful winds and lightning that can ignite new fires.
“It’s a David-versus-Goliath scenario… at some point, we’ll find a weak spot and strike there,” said Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for the National Firefighters Federation of France (FNSPF).
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the situation as “extremely intense and unpredictable,” warning that the Gironde blaze was producing its own winds while advancing erratically towards the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
Authorities have urged tourists to avoid travelling to the Gironde region, while major transport routes, including motorways and railway lines south of Bordeaux, have been closed.
More than 2,500 firefighters, supported by 1,500 military personnel and about 1,200 police officers, have been deployed to combat the flames.
The fire has already injured at least 75 firefighters, with 10 requiring evacuation for treatment, according to local authorities.
Officials said at least 240 homes have been destroyed in the Gironde region, many of them in the village of Le Porge, although Bordeaux itself has not been ordered to evacuate.
France’s Defence Ministry has also taken special measures to protect key industrial facilities around Bordeaux, including aerospace installations.
In neighbouring Spain, firefighters continued battling several major blazes, including a rapidly expanding wildfire near Valencia that has forced approximately 15,000 residents from their homes.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after visiting the fire zone in Ávila Province west of Madrid, warned that “difficult hours lie ahead” as emergency crews struggle to contain advancing flames.
Civil protection chief Virginia Barcones described the wildfire surrounding Ávila as “a monster,” noting that it had spread across a perimeter of about 280 kilometres and consumed approximately 77,000 hectares.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the fires continued to spread, albeit at a slower pace, while authorities maintained evacuation orders across several regions.
King Felipe VI, who visited an emergency shelter outside Madrid, described the destruction as “incalculable” and expressed solidarity with affected communities.
The fires have devastated thousands of hectares of woodland already weakened by successive heatwaves and prolonged drought conditions since May.
The European Union has mobilised firefighting aircraft, emergency crews and specialised equipment from several member states to assist France and Spain as both countries battle multiple large-scale blazes simultaneously.
The crisis has also spread beyond France and Spain, with Italy continuing to battle numerous wildfires.
In the southern Italian region of Puglia, more than 400 tourists and beachgoers were evacuated by sea near the coastal town of Peschici, with hundreds more expected to be rescued as flames approached populated areas.
The human toll continues to mount.
One civilian was killed on Saturday in a wildfire near Valencia, while two French firefighters lost their lives earlier in the week battling flames near Bordeaux.
Pope Leo IV expressed solidarity with victims and emergency responders during his Sunday prayers, calling on the faithful to pray for communities affected by the “devastating” fires sweeping across southern Europe.
Meteorologists have warned that another heatwave is expected to hit France from Tuesday, with temperatures forecast to reach 40°C in some regions, could further complicate firefighting efforts and increase the risk of new outbreaks.