Thousands evacuated as wildfires push Spain and France firefighters to the limit

International

FROM villages west of Madrid to France’s Atlantic coast, communities have been forced to flee as raging wildfires consume thousands of hectares of land and put emergency services under intense pressure.

In Spain, authorities have declared a national emergency after three fires west of Madrid combined into one major blaze that firefighters are struggling to contain, while France’s Gironde and Landes regions face a separate wildfire emergency that has displaced more than 110,000 people.

In a report by BBC, Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the blaze as the “worst fire in the history of the region,” saying the combination of extreme weather and merging fire fronts had created a “perfect storm.”

The main fire was advancing toward Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Oliva, about 50km (31 miles) from Madrid. Carlos Novillo, the Madrid government’s emergency management chief, said the blaze had reached a stage where firefighters could no longer directly attack some areas and were instead focusing on defensive measures.

“The wildfire is at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain,” Ayuso said.

The Military Emergency Unit (UME) has been deployed, with teams concentrating on protecting communities near El Escorial. Authorities are also monitoring a separate wildfire in Ávila province, where officials fear the Burgohondo blaze could merge with the Madrid fire. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said authorities were working to prevent that from happening.

More than 60,000 people have been affected in the Madrid region, including 30,000 who were evacuated and 20,000 placed under lockdown. Officials warned the numbers could rise as embers carried by the wind allow flames to spread across large distances.

At least 6,000 hectares have burned in Madrid, while the Ávila fire has consumed nearly 9,000 hectares. Eight municipalities have been evacuated, with several others under restrictions.

In France, wildfires in the Gironde and Landes regions have forced more than 110,000 people to leave their homes. The Gironde blaze has burned more than 19,000 hectares of forest and destroyed around 80 homes.

The entire Cap Ferret peninsula was evacuated, with hundreds escaping by boat as flames approached the popular coastal area. Fire officials said conditions were more severe than during the devastating 2022 fires because drought allowed the blaze to continue spreading overnight.

“We have never seen a convective fire of this magnitude,” France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez was quoted in the same article, adding that around 50 firefighters had been injured.

Nuñez said the fire was changing direction and moving toward Bordeaux, prompting authorities to reorganise their response. A separate wildfire near Biscarrosse forced more than 23,000 evacuations in the Landes region.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as “very tense” and activated European Union support, including additional aircraft and helicopters.

Across southern Europe, prolonged heatwaves and drought have increased wildfire risks. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said Europe is warming faster than any other continent, while authorities have warned that hotter, drier conditions are leaving vegetation more vulnerable to ignition and allowing fires to spread more rapidly.(MyTVCebu)