Over 200,000 evacuated as massive wildfires sweep across France and Spain

More than 200,000 people were forced to flee their homes on Friday as fast-moving wildfires tore through southwestern France and central Spain, prompting large-scale evacuations near Bordeaux and Madrid.

Authorities said the fires spread rapidly due to extreme heat and dry conditions, with firefighters struggling to contain the blazes. In some areas of France’s Atlantic coast, residents escaped by boat as flames engulfed popular tourist destinations.

France’s Interior Ministry said about 141,000 people were evacuated from the Gironde and Landes regions, while Spain’s Interior Ministry reported around 60,000 evacuations in central parts of the country.

Although dozens of French firefighters were injured, officials reported no fatalities in either country. Emergency crews went door-to-door urging residents to leave as thick smoke and advancing flames threatened towns and villages.

In France, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the wildfire in Gironde had burned roughly 140 square kilometers and was advancing toward Bordeaux after changing direction with the wind. Authorities are reorganizing firefighting operations to slow the fire’s progress and protect the city.

President Emmanuel Macron ordered the activation of the government’s crisis response unit and instructed the military to assist civilian emergency services. Regional officials described the blaze as unprecedented in scale and said significant reinforcements were being deployed from across the country.

The fire, which began Wednesday near the Cap Ferret peninsula, has destroyed dozens of homes and a campsite while injuring more than 40 firefighters. Around 1,500 evacuees reached the nearby city of Arcachon by sea, using water taxis and larger boats.

A separate wildfire in the neighboring Landes region forced another 31,000 people to evacuate. Authorities believe both French fires were caused accidentally.

France also requested assistance through the European Union’s emergency mechanism. Additional firefighting aircraft and helicopters from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are being sent to support operations.

In Spain, the government declared a national wildfire emergency for the first time as fires near Madrid and in Ávila province forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed support for affected families and announced plans to visit the disaster zone.

Fueled by temperatures expected to exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit), two major fires west of Madrid merged into a single large blaze, scorching about 30 square kilometers. Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the worst wildfire in Madrid’s history.

Authorities also ordered about 20,000 more residents to remain indoors, warning that additional evacuations could become necessary. Protecting the historic town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial remained a top priority.

In nearby Ávila province, another wildfire burned around 90 square kilometers. Police arrested one person and are investigating another after a spark from heavy machinery allegedly ignited the blaze in a restricted area.

Residents described scenes of panic as thick smoke and flames surrounded their communities before evacuation orders were issued.

Spain has endured one of its most destructive wildfire seasons on record. Firefighters continue battling the country’s second-largest wildfire in Guadalajara province, while another blaze in southern Spain earlier this month claimed 13 lives.

According to Spain’s ecological transition ministry, more than 1,140 square kilometers have already burned nationwide this year “over five times the area affected during the same period in 2025.

Experts say increasingly intense heat linked to climate change, combined with the abandonment of rural farmland that once served as natural firebreaks, has made many communities more vulnerable to large and fast-moving wildfires.