France and Spain Evacuate 166,000 as Wildfires Spread Out of Control

Over 166,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain as large forest fires continue to burn near Madrid and Bordeaux, officials said on Friday. The blazes, fueled by strong winds and drought conditions, have destroyed thousands of hectares of land and forced residents and tourists to flee.

In France, approximately 44,000 people were evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula south of Bordeaux, where the only road out was threatened by flames. Boats were used to transport hundreds of people away from the area, while others drove off the peninsula. More than 50 houses have been destroyed there.

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the army to mobilize to help contain the wildfire, which local officials described as the worst in the country's history. France has also sought assistance from the European Union, which is sending three water-bombing planes. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the country had never before seen fires on this scale.

In Spain, two major wildfires west of Madrid have merged, threatening the suburban town of Navas del Rey. More than 25,000 people have been evacuated in the Madrid region, including over 1,200 elderly and disabled individuals. The Madrid regional government's emergency management chief, Carlos Novillo, said the wildfire was 'at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain.'

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to visit the emergency coordination center on Saturday. The European Commission is sending four water-bombing planes to Spain to assist firefighting efforts.

At least three firefighters have died in wildfires in France and Italy this week. In France, about 40 of the 1,000 firefighters battling the Cap Ferret blaze have been injured. A total of 1,000 French military personnel are being deployed to confront the flames, which have ravaged 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres). Additionally, 1.5 million FFP2 masks are being delivered to the Gironde region to protect personnel and populations from harmful smoke.

Emergency shelters have been set up in schools and gymnasiums in southwestern France for displaced tourists and residents. Many expressed uncertainty about their homes. Maria Lalanne, a 90-year-old evacuee from Lege Cap Ferret, said she did not know if her house had burnt down.

Some European regions have experienced at least two heatwaves since May, and drought linked to human-caused climate change has heightened the risk of wildfires this year, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution group published this week.