Over 300,000 Evacuated as Wildfires Rage Across France and Spain
More than 300,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes as massive wildfires burn across France's Gironde region and central Spain, prompting large-scale evacuations and international firefighting assistance.
Firefighters in France and Spain are battling extensive wildfires that have prompted the evacuation of over 300,000 people. In France's Gironde region, near Bordeaux, authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 250,000 residents, describing the operation as one of the largest since World War II. The blaze has spread across roughly 162 square miles of pine forests and scrubland, an area seven times the size of Manhattan. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on X that the situation remains "very unfavorable" and that the fire had become "extremely virulent" and unpredictable, generating its own winds.
French crews are using ground teams, water-dropping aircraft, and military personnel to contain the fire, while neighboring European nations have contributed additional planes and firefighters. In Spain, evacuations continued in villages west of Madrid and a new fire front opened near Valencia. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned of "difficult hours ahead" but noted a "very positive" night in terms of gaining control. Valencia's regional president Juanfran Perez Llorca said the fire was beyond the capacity to extinguish, and central government delegate Pilar Bernabe described the night as "very intense" on X.
Spain's wildfires this week have displaced about 116,000 people, and a blaze in a Valencia suburb claimed one life, marking the first fatality in the current series of fires. Residents expressed uncertainty about the condition of their homes after the flames, with one evacuee describing the scene as "like the apocalypse" and fearing extensive damage. Pope Leo XIV referenced the disasters in his Angelus prayer, expressing solidarity with those affected and urging prayers for rescue workers.